Shivangi Sinha
In September 2023, Joe Shymanski’s ex-wife, Heather Snyder, reported him missing after he failed to appear for a scheduled custody exchange. Investigators reviewed surveillance footage from the area and spotted a suspicious vehicle, which eventually led them to Brandon Ross Holbrook. When authorities searched Holbrook’s residence, they discovered Joe’s remains. Police swiftly apprehended him and linked him to Joe Shymanski’s murder, though his motives remained uncertain. CBS’ ‘48 Hours: My Uncle Joe’s Murder’ explores the details of the case, from the initial disappearance to the investigation and the eventual capture of the man responsible.
Brandon Holbrook Had Prior Convictions Related to Indecent Exposure in Public
Brandon Ross Holbrook had grown up in Reedsville, Pennsylvania, where he appeared to lead a conventional life. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Shippensburg University and went on to serve honorably in Afghanistan as a member of the United States Marine Corps. After returning home, he worked as a truck driver and built a family with his wife and three children. However, beneath the surface, he had a long history of criminal behavior. His first conviction came in 1998 for indecent exposure, followed by similar offenses in 2005, 2013, and 2014. In 2008, his license to practice practical nursing in Pennsylvania was revoked due to his criminal record. He was again convicted in 2017 and was on probation violation when he applied for a work-release program.
At the time, he was working at Espenshade Farms in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, as a truck loader. Holbrook began a romantic relationship with Heather Snyder, and they were together after her divorce in October 2022 from her husband, Joe Shymanski. However, the relationship did not last long. Reports suggest that Holbrook allegedly began displaying controlling and possessive behavior, which ultimately led Heather to distance herself from him. In February 2023, he was arrested for the eighth time on charges of public lewdness and indecent exposure. Then, on September 3, 2023, when Joe Shymanski returned home in Huntingtown, Maryland, after helping a neighbor with a drywall project, Holbrook was waiting for him outside.
Brandon Holbrook’s License Plate Was Captured on the Surveillance Camera
Brandon Holbrook fatally shot Joe Shymanski, but although nearby residents heard the gunshots, they assumed they were recreational and did not suspect foul play. After the killing, he transported Shymanski’s remains in his truck to his hometown of Reedsville, where he dismembered and partially burned them. The following morning, he drove to the area near a Weis grocery store, where he scattered parts of the remains before going inside the store to purchase cleaning supplies. He then returned home and used bleach to clean his truck, spreading chicken organs and fluids in the truck bed in an attempt to mask any forensic evidence.
However, his elaborate cover-up quickly unraveled when investigators reviewed surveillance footage captured near Shymanski’s home, which placed Holbrook at the scene and ultimately tied him to the crime. Using license plate detection technology, investigators determined that the vehicle seen leaving the crime scene belonged to Holbrook. Surveillance footage near the Weis grocery store captured him disposing of the remains, and forensic evidence recovered from the wooded area near his home confirmed that the remains belonged to Shymanski. Two half-burned barrels found on Holbrook’s property further corroborated what had occurred. On September 6, 2025, police arrested Holbrook on charges of first-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a violent crime, and destruction of evidence.
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Brandon Holbrook is Incarcerated Today
In September 2024, Holbrook rejected a plea deal offered by the prosecution and proceeded to trial in March 2025. During the proceedings, his defense argued that there was no direct evidence linking him to the crime, though the prosecution presented overwhelming proof of his guilt. Heather Snyder was called to testify but reportedly invoked her Fifth Amendment rights. While prosecutors acknowledged that the direct motive for the murder was unclear and that there was no known history between the two men, the evidence against Holbrook was substantial.
On April 9, 2025, he was found guilty, and in July 2025, he was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, along with additional concurrent terms of 20 years for firearm use and three years for evidence tampering. The 50-year-old is currently serving his sentence at the Jessup Correctional Institution in Jessup, Maryland, where he will remain for the rest of his life.
