The Bowdoin man accused of killing his parents and two family friends will be held without bail while his case proceeds.
Joseph Eaton appeared in Sagadahoc County Superior Court on Friday and pleaded not guilty and not criminally responsible to all 27 charges against him. He's accused of killing David and Cynthia Eaton and their family friends Patti and Bob Eger in April. Eaton allegedly then stole guns from the Egers' house and drove down Interstate 295 to Yarmouth, where police say he shot at several cars, seriously injuring three people.
Defense attorney Andrew Wright says he's still exploring whether Eaton was sane when he killed his parents. But he says he believes his client is competent to stand trial and understands the proceedings.
He said the state needs to do a better job in addressing the mental health issues of people who are incarcerated before they are released from prison.
"I think there's been a systemic failure of the state of Maine to deal with mental health issues, and that much of it ends up in the criminal justice system because of that failure," he said.
Eaton spoke briefly during his arraignment only to say he understood the charges against him. Behind him and on a Zoom meeting, several family members and friends of the victims watched the proceedings.
Afterward, Peter G. DeRaps, Patti Eger's brother, declined to comment but handed members of the press a written statement, calling Eaton evil and selfish while holding a photo of his sister and Bob Eger.
"We can only hope that justice is served and my heart goes out to all those effected by this needless tragedy," his note read.
Sean Halsey, whose children Justin and Paige were shot by Eaton on the highway, was also in attendance with his family. He told reporters his family is recovering day by day. He said it wasn't the fault of the Egers for having weapons, but the state's for allowing Eaton to be released to a place where he would have access to them. If not for that, he said, the tragedy may not have happened.
"I own my own firearms, we're very strong advocates of the Second Amendment," he said. "And that is just a loophole that probably needs to be looked at."
