Joseph Eaton faced a judge Friday in connection with all charges against him in both Sagadahoc and Cumberland County.
An accused mass shooter in Maine pleaded not guilty Friday to an April quadruple homicide which saw the deaths of his parents and a couple who looked after him before allegedly opening fire on Interstate 95 in Yarmouth, according to reports.
Joseph Eaton faced a judge Friday in connection for all charges against him in both Sagadahoc and Cumberland County.
In Sagadahoc County, Eaton faces four counts of intentional or knowing murder in the deaths of Robert and Patricia Eger and David and Cynthia Eaton, aggravated cruelty to animals, nine counts of theft of a firearm, possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and theft.
In Cumberland County, Eaton faces charges include aggravated attempted murder, six counts of attempted murder with a firearm, three counts of elevated aggravated assault with a firearm and another count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
He pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Justice Daniel Billings ordered Eaton held without bail on the murder counts and set bail at $250,000 for all other charges.
On April 18, around 9:21 a.m. police were called to the Eger home on Augusta Road in Bowdoin, where they found the bodies of Eaton's parents, Cynthia Eaton, 62, and David Eaton, 66, and Robert Eger, 72, and Patricia Eger, 62. All four had been shot and killed, according to the criminal affidavit obtained by Inside Edition Digital.
Also killed was the family dog, according to the criminal affidavit.
The Eger family had reportedly taken the Eatons in as they awaited the release of Joseph from prison for an earlier and unrelated crime, according to the criminal affidavit.
Two hours after the police got calls about the killings, cops were alerted to someone reportedly shooting cars on interstate 295, according to the criminal affidavit.
Law enforcement officials say Joseph Eaton confessed to the killings as well as to wounding three people while shooting at vehicles on Interstate 295 in Yarmouth, according to the criminal affidavit.
The killings happened just days after Eaton's mother picked him up at a prison in Maine, where he had done time for violating probation on an aggravated assault conviction, the latest in a long criminal history, Spectrum News reported.
Police don't have Eaton's motive for the slayings and a criminal affidavit obtained by Inside Edition Digital says that an unsigned note found at the scene mentioned "someone being freed of pain and that the writer of the note wanted a new life."
The news of Eaton’s not guilty plea comes just a month after a Maine couple allegedly broke into the Eger home, according to WGME.
Following his parents' deaths in April, U.S. Border Patrol Agent Robert Eger, Jr. and his wife had been living in the house and a family friend says Agent Eger Jr. returned from a trip on June 19 and found the home burglarized, WGME reported.
The couple reported more than two dozen items missing including jewelry, a large amount of cash, Agent Eger's gun, gear, badge and body armor, and two laptops, according to court papers obtained by WGME.
Nine days later, police arrested Michael Hall and Jeanne Doughty two miles from the Eger's home. Investigators found several of the stolen items at the time of the arrests, including Agent Eger's gun and body armor, a laptop and jewelry, but no money, WGME reported.
Hall was charged with violation of conditions of release as a result of new alleged criminal conduct.
Doughty is being charged with receiving stolen property, unlawful possession of scheduled drugs and violation of conditions of release. Both are being held at Two Bridges Regional jail in Wiscasset without bail.
Both Hall and Doughty have entered not guilty pleas, the Maine Judicial Branch tells Inside Edition Digital in an email.
Inside Edition Digital has reached out to Hall’s attorney for comment but has not heard back. Maine Judicial Branch tells Inside Edition Digital that Doughty does not have an attorney listed.
