UPDATE: Pennsylvania Man Found Guilty of First-Degree Murder in 2023 Huntingtown Homicide

UPDATE 4/9/2025: Brandon Ross Holbrook, 49, of Reedsville, Pennsylvania, was found guilty on April 8th, 2025, in Calvert County Circuit Court on multiple charges, including first-degree murder, stemming from a September 2023 homicide in Huntingtown.

Holbrook was convicted of first-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony violent crime, and altering physical evidence. These charges relate to the death of an adult male victim whose body was discovered following a missing persons report.

According to court records, deputies from the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office were first alerted to the incident on September 4, 2023, after a woman reported that her ex-husband, the male victim, was missing. She had arrived at his home on Carl Court in Huntingtown for a custody exchange but found the residence empty. Deputies noted his car was in the driveway, and his cell phone was found inside the house.

The following day, crime scene technicians discovered blood stains in the driveway that tested consistent with human blood. Investigators also found patterns that indicated foul play. Further investigation revealed that Holbrook, the woman’s former partner, had expressed animosity toward the victim.

License plate reader data captured Holbrook’s white Dodge pickup truck leaving Calvert County shortly after gunshots were reportedly heard in the area. On September 5, detectives traveled to Holbrook’s residence in Reedsville, where they located his truck. A strong odor of decomposition was emanating from the truck’s bed, and maggots were visible.

Search warrants later uncovered human remains and blood in the vehicle. Detectives also found cleaning supplies, gloves, and new plastic packaging, along with a store receipt dated the day after the alleged homicide.

Holbrook was arrested on September 6, 2023, and charged with first-degree murder, second-degree murder, first- and second-degree assault, and related offenses. He was found guilty of first-degree murder, firearm use during a violent felony, and tampering with evidence. The jury returned no verdict on the remaining assault charges.

The trial spanned several days, concluding on April 9, 2025.