In a chilling turn of events, a Maine man, who was serving a life sentence for a brutal murder spree, was discovered dead inside his Massachusetts prison cell on Tuesday. The man, Joseph Eaton, had been incarcerated for the horrific killings of his own parents, their pet dog, and another couple in April 2023.

On that fateful day, Eaton took the lives of Cynthia and David Eaton, aged 62 and 66, along with their friends, Patti and Bob Eger, aged 62 and 72, respectively. Following these murders, Eaton embarked on a violent spree along Interstate 295, indiscriminately shooting at passing cars. Among his victims were a brother and sister who were injured but fortunately survived the attack, as reported by WGME.

Just days prior to the murders, Eaton had been released from prison after serving time for a probation violation. Despite his lengthy criminal record, which included charges such as assault and aggravated assault over the past decade, he somehow managed to obtain a firearm, a clear violation given his criminal history. Authorities at the time expressed concern over his access to a weapon, as noted by CrimeOnline.

Eaton’s criminal activities spanned several states, with records showing prison time served in Kansas, Florida, and Maine. His unexpected death in prison is now under investigation by the Massachusetts State Police, though no additional details have been disclosed at this time.

No further information was released about Eaton’s death, which is being investigated by Massachusetts State Police.