Jilted ex convicted of killing and dismembering beloved Washington, DC artist in surprise attack

After an eight-day trial, a jury convicted Brandon Ross Holbrook on April 9 of this year, 2025, of murdering well-respected DC photographer ​Joseph Shymanski, according to the Calvert County State Attorney’s Office. Holbrook will be sentenced in July. He could spend the rest of his life in prison.

Holbrook traveled from Pennsylvania to Shymanski’s Maryland home in September 2023, where he killed Shymanski in the driveway. Holbrook then transported Shymanski’s body back to Pennsylvania, where he cremated and mutilated it.

Shymanski’s wife reported him on September 4, 2023, when he missed a planned child custody exchange. The detectives found evidence of blood at Shymanski’s home, which made them suspect foul play, leading them to Holbrook as the primary suspect.

Evidence also placed Holbrook’s vehicle outside of Shymanski’s residence at the time of the murder and forensics linked him to the crime scene and Shymanski’s dismembered body.

Holbrook’s defense

Calvert County Sheriff’s Office reports this afternoon that Pennsylvania police have found human remains they believe may be those of a Huntingtown man who disappeared this week. A 47-year-old PA man is in custody. The missing man, pictured, is identified as Joseph Shymanski. pic.twitter.com/trEebculod

— Marty Madden (@MartySoMdNews) September 7, 2023

According to WUSA9, Holbrook’s defense team challenged the prosecution’s case by filing a motion to dismiss the charges. They argued that prosecutors lacked direct evidence linking Holbrook to Shymanski’s death.

Specifically, the defense contended that there were no eyewitnesses to the crime, no definitive proof of how Shymanski died, and no conclusive evidence placing Holbrook at the scene of the murder. 

They also highlighted the absence of witnesses who could confirm Holbrook was driving the vehicle observed near Shymanski’s residence around the time of the incident.

Still, the jury was convinced that Holbrook had murdered Shymanski due to personal differences over Holbrook’s association with Shymanski’s former wife.

Holbrook and Shymanski’s ex-wife had a relationship that ended under contentious circumstances, with disagreements about the children’s custody and financial matters.

Reports say Holbrook and Shymanski’s ex had “distanced” herself from Holbrook before the shooting, but it’s unclear if the breakup motivated the attack.

Shymanski reportedly did not know Holbrook was planning to kill him, or that there was ill will between himself and Holbrook. Holbrook’s defense claimed he had no reason to kill Shymanski, and that Shymanski’s ex-girlfriend could be responsible, but the jury disagreed.

Shymanski’s legacy

A Calvert County jury has found 49-year-old Brandon R. Holbrook guilty of murdering Huntingtown resident Joseph Shymanski in September 2023. Judge Mark Chandlee has ordered a pre-sentence investigation. pic.twitter.com/OMScqJdxKZ

— Marty Madden (@MartySoMdNews) April 10, 2025

During the trial, the courtroom was filled with family and friends of the victim, many wearing pins and apparel marked with “Justice for Joe” as a public show of support. This visible demonstration underscored the community’s demand for justice and collective grief over Shymanski’s death.

Shymanski was a highly respected businessman and photographer. He is perhaps best known for co-founding AJ Photography and working with up-and-coming artists. He had two children.

In a tribute to Joe’s memory, his friends and family have set up a memorial fund to support Washington, DC, high school students studying photography and media.

In the weeks immediately after his senseless killing, friends, relatives, and admirers attended a candlelight vigil in Southeast DC to celebrate his life. Longtime friend Anneli Werner said Joe was “the most loving, giving, generous, accommodating, kind soul” she had ever known.

She recalled their first meeting in 1998 at his photography booth in Eastern Market, where she observed his warmth and kindness. Werner emphasized that Joe “just inspired us all to be better people,” and that his legacy would live on through the lives he touched and the photographs he left behind.

Joe’s friends Robyn Goecke and Mike remembered him as an “upbeat, positive, caring, fun” individual who radiated love and warmth wherever he went. Mike, a high school friend of Joe’s, said of his commitment to seeing beauty in photography and fatherhood, where he often put his children first, DC news outlet WTOP reported.

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