Joseph Joe Anthony Shymanski was reported missing from Huntingtown, Maryland, after he failed to appear for a scheduled child custody exchange on September 4, 2023. Family members say the 51-year-old photographer and divorced father of two would not have left voluntarily without his phone and keys. The last confirmed sighting was about 4 p.m. on September 3, 2023.

Calvert County detectives found evidence of foul play at Shymanski’s driveway, including blood spatter, and a neighbor reported hearing gunshots the evening of September 3. Investigators traced movements to Reedsville, Pennsylvania, and identified 47-year-old Brandon Ross Holbrook as a suspect. Authorities allege Holbrook drove from Pennsylvania to Maryland, shot Shymanski in the driveway, placed the body in his truck, returned to Pennsylvania, then dismembered and attempted to burn the remains; what investigators believed to be Shymanski’s remains were later found in woods near Holbrook’s residence.

The murder weapon has not been recovered, but surveillance footage and forensic evidence, including charred human remains identified through dental records, are described as part of the case. The exact motive remains unclear and Shymanski’s family says they believe his ex-wife knows more than she has shared. Anyone with information about Joseph Shymanski or his movements on September 3–4, 2023, is asked to come forward.