Brandon Holbrook Sentenced For Murder Of Joe Shymanski

The Pennsylvania man who drove 200 miles from his home to murder famed DC photographer Joe Shymanski will spend the rest of his life in prison.

Brandon Ross Holbrook, 49, of Reedsville, PA, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for killing and dismembering Shymanski in Huntingtown, the Calvert County Sheriff's Office announced.

Holbrook was found guilty of murder in June following an eight-day trial in Calvert County Circuit Court.

According to prosecutors, Holbrook shot Shymanski on Sept. 3, 2023, in the driveway of his home in Huntingtown. He then took the body back to his home in Reedsville, where he dismembered and burned the remains.

Prosecutors say that Holbrook dismembered Shymanski’s body with a power saw, burned the body parts in a metal barrel, and scattered the remains in a clearing near his house.

Holbrook then cleaned his truck with bleach before covering the bed with chicken organs and fluid.

The Calvert County State’s Attorney’s Office described Shymanski as “a prominent Washington, DC, photographer and businessman.”

Investigators used surveillance video to place Holbrook’s vehicle in the area at the time of the killing. Forensic evidence later linked him to the dismemberment and disposal of the body.

“Brandon Holbrook was convicted of the brutal and senseless murder of Joseph Shymanski following a fair and impartial jury trial," State's Attorney Robert Harvey said. "Holbrook thought he could escape the consequences of his actions by dismembering and disposing of the body, but he was proven wrong.

"Today’s sentence will ensure that Holbrook spends the rest of his life in prison," he continued. "I sincerely hope that the sentence brings some measure of peace and justice to the family and friends of Joe Shymanski.”

Harvey called this "an extremely difficult case," and the trial "a masterwork of criminal justice."

"There were no eyewitnesses, no murder weapon, no confession, and no body," he said.

"Mr. Lerner and Mr. Monte were thoroughly prepared to address each contested issue and presented the State’s evidence in a straightforward and seamless fashion.

"As the verdict clearly indicated, they left no room for doubt in the minds of the jurors."