What Happened to Joe? 

JOE SHYMANSKI WAS GUNNED DOWN BY A MAN HE'D NEVER MET

 

Joe Shymanski was shot and killed in the driveway of his Calvert County, MD home on Sunday, September 3, 2023. The perpetrator, Brandon Ross Holbrook of Reedsville, PA, was later arrested, charged, and convicted of Joe’s murder. On July 18, 2025, Holbrook was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

 

Brandon Holbrook was romantically involved with Joe’s ex-wife, Heather Snyder, for approximately two years. Court records show that he had a decades-long criminal history involving public masturbation and lewd conduct​​, including fondling his genitals in the girls' clothing section at Walmart, in a public library, and during his nursing career in a hospital. Only a month before Joe’s death he was also arrested for lewd conduct in a fitness gym. Text messages between Holbrook and Snyder indicate that, despite having young children in her home, Snyder was aware of Holbrook's history of sexual misconduct. Records also show that Holbrook developed a relationship with Joe’s children, who referred to him as “Uncle Brandon.” Joe was never informed of Holbrook’s criminal background — a troubling oversight, especially given Joe’s longstanding concern for his children’s well-being and the fact that he held primary physical custody.

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Although Snyder had been involved with Holbrook for some time, Joe and Holbrook had never met. Yet on September 3, 2023, Holbrook drove more than 200 miles from PA to MD and shot Joe in broad daylight. After the murder, he placed Joe’s body in his truck and returned to his home in Reedsville, PA, where he dismembered the body and attempted to destroy the remains. Investigators later discovered two halves of a burn barrel—visible in photos taken outside Holbrook’s home just days before the killing—in a nearby meadow.

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Police quickly identified Holbrook as the suspect and arrested him on September 6, 2023. On April 9, 2025, following just 80 minutes of jury deliberation, he was found guilty of first-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a violent crime, and destruction and concealment of physical evidence. At his sentencing on July 18, 2025, before a courtroom filled with Joe’s friends and family, Holbrook was ordered to spend the rest of his life in state prison without the possibility of parole.

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Prior to the Crime

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Joe and Snyder finalized their divorce in October 2022, but disputes continued over custody exchanges between PA and MD, as well as a financial judgment Joe later appealed and won. The court granted Joe primary physical custody so the children could attend school in MD, while holidays and most of the summer was reserved for their mother in PA. Despite Snyder’s outrageous claims of emotional abuse, the court ruled in Joe’s favor, ordering that the children remain with him in Maryland.

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In the months that followed, court records show Snyder repeatedly ignored the order to bring the children from PA to MD for custody exchanges, insisting instead on meeting halfway. But on Labor Day, September 3, 2023, that routine changed due to pressure from Joe's new lawyer. For the first time, Snyder drove all the way to Joe’s home to return the children—and he wasn’t there. Unlike in the past, when she would simply leave if Joe was late, this time she called 911 right away to report him missing. Strangely, despite claiming concern, she didn’t contact his family until several hours later.

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Just four months before his death, Joe had taken out a $1 million life insurance policy, naming his children as the sole beneficiaries. However, since he had not yet established a will or trust to govern his estate, Snyder attempted to be the court-appointed guardian of the children's inheritance. However, the court ultimately named a third-party guardian after Snyder was pressured to withdraw her petition. 

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The Weekend of the Murder 

 

Joe was last seen alive around 4:00pm on the afternoon of September 3, 2023, when he left a neighbor’s house after helping with a drywall project to return home. Although other neighbors heard gunshots shortly afterward, the sounds did not raise immediate concern. The houses in the area are widely spaced, with limited sightlines between them, and target shooting in and around the neighborhood was not uncommon. As a result, nothing was reported that day.

 

The following evening, Labor Day Monday, Joe was officially reported missing to police by his ex-wife, Heather Snyder, at 7:47 p.m. That day, she had made the full drive to Joe’s home in compliance with the court order so their children could return to school in MD the following day. Tragically, Joe never lived to see the exchange, and his children were left unable to return to school or say goodbye to their friends and neighbors.

 

When Snyder arrived at Joe’s home, she found his wallet, phone, and car keys left inside the kitchen, and the flip-flops he had been wearing were found just inside the door. Police responded that evening, canvassing the area but ultimately deciding to return the next day, as it was already dark.

 

The following morning, with daylight providing better visibility, officers discovered clear evidence of violence, including human bloodstains in the driveway. Investigators interviewed Snyder, neighbors, and Joe’s best friend and business partner, gradually piecing together the events of the previous day. Using license plate recognition technology, police determined that Holbrook’s truck had been in Calvert County on September 3.

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On September 5, with assistance from local PA authorities, Calvert County police went to Holbrook’s home. There, they uncovered evidence of foul play on and around the property. Holbrook was formally charged and arrested the next day, September 6.

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Subsequent searches in the Reedsville, PA area revealed human remains in multiple locations near Holbrook’s property. Joe’s body had been dismembered and burned beyond recognition. Security camera footage further showed Holbrook disposing of remains in a grassy area and purchasing cleaning supplies at a nearby Weis Market, providing investigators with critical evidence of his actions.

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Still Searching for Answers

 

​After discovering evidence of foul play in Joe’s driveway, Calvert County, MD detectives quickly identified and arrested Holbrook. He was later convicted on all charges following a jury trial that deliberated for just 80 minutes. During the proceedings, Snyder invoked her Fifth Amendment right and refused to answer questions. Despite telling police she was single and had ended her relationship with Holbrook a month earlier, court records show they maintained regular communication and met in person. (See timeline below.)

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Despite Holbrook’s conviction—and Snyder’s name being mentioned more than 400 times during the trial—there are still too many unanswered questions We continue to seek the truth and pray that, with time and the help of others, justice for Joe will be found.

 

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