Accused Bowdoin killer will appear in Maine court this morning

Today is Thursday. The temperatures will be in the high 40s to mid-50s from north to south, with sunshine returning across the state. Today should be by far the nicest day of the week. Enjoy it! See what weather is in store for the rest of the day here.

Here’s what we’re talking about in Maine today.

Police: Bowdoin man confessed to killing his parents and their friends

Robert C. Eger Jr., 72, and Patti Deraps Eger, 62, Cynthia Eaton, 63, and David Eaton, 66 have been identified as the four people found dead at an Augusta Road house on Tuesday. Cynthia and David were the parents of Joseph Eaton, 34, who has been charged with murder in the shooting deaths, which have been ruled homicides.

What we know so far:

Bowdoin killings: At around 9:20 a.m. on Tuesday the Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Office discovered four bodies at 1459 Augusta Road in Bowdoin. They have been identified as Cynthia R. Eaton, 63, and David Lee Eaton, 66, both of Ocala, Florida, and Robert C. Eger Jr., 72, and Patricia Deraps Eger, 62, who owned the home. Police say the Eatons’ son, 34-year-old Joseph Eaton, confessed to the killings.

What we know about the victims: The Egers were remembered as friendly, God-fearing people. Patricia Eger was an avid scrapbooker with a penchant for Twizzlers, friends remember, and Robert Eger was a skilled craftsman who formerly worked at Bath Iron Works.

Cynthia and David Eaton had attempted to help rehabilitate Joseph Eaton when he was ordered to serve jail time in 2017. The couple sent a letter to the Wiscasset courthouse on Jan. 20, 2017, asking if their son could serve probation at their home in Florida so they could offer their “support and guidance.”

But those intentions were thwarted when Joseph Eaton was arrested on Jan. 21, 2017, charged and convicted after a violent incident at a relative’s home, and then ordered to spend three years in a Florida prison, after which his probation was revoked.

The suspect: Joseph Eaton was taken into custody on Tuesday, and is being held without bail at Two Bridges Regional Jail in Wiscasset. In addition to reportedly confessing to the killings, Eaton admitted to firing on vehicles he believed were police following him on I-295, state police said at a Wednesday press conference. A police spokesperson told the Associated Press that Eaton fired randomly on the highway.

Eaton has a criminal history dating back to 2013, which includes felony convictions that bar him from possessing firearms under state and federal law. He was released from a Maine prison on Friday after serving time for violating his conditions of release on a domestic violence charge. Eaton was picked up from the prison by his mother Cynthia before being taken to the Bowdoin residence where the killings occurred.

Yarmouth highway shooting: At about 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, three people were shot and injured while driving on the southbound side of I-295 near exit 15. The victims were identified as Sean Halsey, 51, and his two children, 29-year-old Justin Halsey and 25-year-old Paige Halsey, all of Bowdoinham. Paige Halsey received critical injuries in the shooting, but was recovering as of Wednesday afternoon. Sean Halsey and Justin Halsey received injuries not considered life-threatening.

What’s next: Eaton faces four charges of murder. He is expected to make an initial court appearance on those charges at 10:30 a.m. today at the District Court in West Bath. No charges have been filed in connection with the interstate shooting, but Eaton is likely to face charges, Yarmouth police said.

Political ramifications: The head of the Sportman’s Alliance of Maine, David Trahan, met Wednesday with Maine House Speaker Rachel Talbot Ross and Public Safety Commissioner Michael Sauschuck to discuss gun legislation, including possible new limits on straw purchases of firearms on behalf of people like Eaton who should not have them.