PRINCE FREDERICK, Md. — The Reedsville man convicted of the brutal murder of well-known Washington, D.C. photographer Joseph Shymanski has been sentenced to life in prison.
Brandon R. Holbrook has been in custody since 2024 since he was convicted of brutally murdering and dismembering Shymanski.
Media outlets in the Washington, D.C., area, including WUSA-TV, reported that Holbrook’s lead defense attorney, Brendan Callahan, said he was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. The sentencing took place in a Calvert County, Md., Circuit Courtroom on Friday afternoon.
Callahan also said they plan to appeal the case.
Media reports also said Holbrook’s sentence begins immediately, although he must still be transported to state prison and processed.
The case stems from the tragic events of Labor Day weekend in 2023, when Shymanski was reported missing by family and friends. An investigation by authorities led to Holbrook’s indictment by a Calvert County grand jury on Nov. 20, 2023.
Prosecutors said that Holbrook drove from his home in Reedsville to Shymanski’s Huntingtown, Calvert County, residence, where he reportedly shot and killed the photographer in his own driveway.
Investigators used surveillance footage and license plate readers were used to place Holbrook at the scene around the time a neighbor reportedly heard gunshots.
Prosecutors alleged Holbrook then transported Shymanski’s body to Pennsylvania, where gas station footage captured his truck on the night of the murder. Further video evidence showed Holbrook discarding human remains outside a store after purchasing cleaning supplies.
Investigators later found Shymanski’s burnt remains in the woods near Holbrook’s home.
Although a possible motive for the crime remains unclear, investigators discovered Holbrook used to date Shymanski’s ex-wife. The two split and she reportedly began to “distance herself” from Holbrook prior to the murder.
https://www.lewistownsentinel.com/news/local-news/2025/07/holbrook-sentenced-to-life-for-murder/
