Pennsylvania man gets life in prison for murdering well-known DC artist
Jul 18
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Brandon Holbrook was convicted in April of brutally murdering and dismembering Joe Shymanski.
WASHINGTON — The man who was convicted of murdering a popular D.C. artist has been sentenced to life in prison.
Brandon Holbrook was convicted in April of brutally murdering and dismembering of well-known D.C. artist Joe Shymanski. Holbrook has been in custody since 2024, after rejecting a plea deal. His trial began at the end of March.
Holbrook's lead defense attorney, Brendan Callahan, said he was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. Callahan said they plan to appeal the case.
Sentencing begins immediately. Holbrook still needs to 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 friends and family. An investigation led to Holbrook’s indictment on Nov. 20, 2023, by a Calvert County grand jury. Prosecutors said that Holbrook drove from his home in Reedsville, Pennsylvania, to Shymanski’s residence in Calvert County, where he reportedly shot and killed the photographer in his driveway.
Surveillance footage and license plate readers placed Holbrook at the scene around the time a neighbor reported hearing gunshots. Prosecutors say 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 Weis Market after purchasing cleaning supplies. Investigators later discovered Shymanski’s burnt remains in the woods behind Holbrook’s home.
A possible motive for the crime remains unclear, though investigators noted that Holbrook had previously been in a relationship with Shymanski’s ex-wife. The two had since separated, with the woman reportedly distancing herself from Holbrook in the months leading up to the murder.
In court on April 1, the prosecution outlined the steps they say Holbrook took to kill Shymanski and hide his remains, including cutting up the body and burning the pieces in the woods behind his own house.
