PORTLAND, Maine — A man accused of killing his parents and two of their friends just days after being released from prison no longer plans to use an insanity defense.
Through his attorney, Joseph Eaton withdrew a plea of not criminally responsible due to mental illness but maintained a plea of not guilty in a Sagadahoc County trial earlier this month.
His lawyer did not elaborate on the decision in the December 8 document, but noted that it means a forensic report on criminal liability will continue to be seized. The law office was closed Wednesday and he did not return an email.
Law enforcement officials say Eaton confessed to the killings at a property in rural Bowdoin and wounded three people while shooting at vehicles on busy Interstate 295 in Yarmouth.
Killed in the shootings were Eaton's parents, Cynthia Eaton, 62, and David Eaton, 66, along with their longtime friends, Bowdoin homeowners Robert Eger, 72, and Patti Eger, 62, officials said.
Eaton has been in custody since his arrest on April 18, the day the bodies were discovered. He was arrested near the chaotic scene along the highway.
Eaton previously told the Portland Press Herald, which first reported the plea change, that he was not in control when he opened fire.