A former Farmington man and members of his family who were killed Saturday while camping on land one of them owned in Texas had spent time with their accused killer, a neighbor who had come over that day to help pull out a vehicle that had gotten stuck in the mud.
William Hudson, whose family owns adjacent land in Tennessee Colony, Texas, returned that night and killed six of the campers, Anderson County Sheriff Greg Taylor said.
The sheriff’s department is not releasing names until after autopsies are performed, but several news outlets have reported that those killed include Carl Johnson, 77, formerly of Farmington, his 40-year-old daughter, Hannah Johnson; her son, Kade Johnson, 6; her boyfriend, Thomas Kamp, 46; and Kamp’s two adult sons from a previous marriage, Nathan and Austin Kamp.
Hudson, 33, was arrested Monday and charged with murder, Taylor said.
Police believe Hudson acted alone and said he has a history of violent behavior. They gave no motive for the killings. He had been arrested on an unrelated assault charge this month, the sheriff’s department said.
Texas TV station KLTV reported that the bodies of Carl and Hannah Johnson were found Sunday morning in a camping trailer. Police said it appears they were shot. The other bodies were discovered in a pond about a half-mile away.
Cynthia Johnson, Carl Johnson’s wife and also a former Farmington resident, was the sole survivor. She escaped and called 911 just before 7 a.m. Sunday.
Her cousin, Gayle Russell of Florida, said in a phone interview that the extended family is very close and was focused on supporting each other as best they can.
“It’s very tragic, and we are all stunned, dumbfounded, and we’re trying to find the best way to support the family,” said Russell, who is the mother of Maine state Rep. Diane Russell of Portland. “This is an unbelievable event. You never expect it to happen in your family or anyone close to you.”
A Johnson family friend from Farmington, who asked that her name not be used, told the Morning Sentinel on Tuesday that Hannah Johnson and Thomas Kamp had recently bought the property in East Texas where they were killed and the weekend camping trip was the first time they had used it.
“Everyone is pretty shattered,” said the family friend, who works at Sandy River Farm Market, which is part of the Sandy River Farms business managed by Carl Johnson’s son, Erik. He went to Texas o be with his stepmother, Cynthia, the family friend said.
Hannah Johnson and Thomas Kamp lived in Midlothian, Texas, about 100 miles from where they were camping.
Carl and Cynthia Johnson retired from the University of Maine at Farmington in 1999, the friend said.
UMF said in a statement that the Johnsons were passionate about traveling the country, and they were “valued members of the university community.”
“We are deeply saddened by this senseless tragedy, and our hearts go out to the family,” the university’s statement said.
Taylor, the Anderson County Sheriff, said at a news conference Monday afternoon that the bodies of four people were found in a pond near Hudson’s house on Monday afternoon. It wasn’t clear how they died.
KLTV said that Kade Johnson and Thomas Kamp were found in the pond along with Kamp’s two sons.
Taylor confirmed Monday that the bodies of a man and a woman were found in a camper on the property early Sunday.
Taylor said that the victims recently bought the undeveloped land adjacent to property owned by Hudson and his family.
Hudson had met the family on Saturday, had spent time talking with them and helped dislodge one of their vehicles from mud, Taylor said on Tuesday. The campers were slain when Hudson returned that night, the sheriff said.
Family members say the six victims were part of a blended family that had come from as far away as California for a weekend together. Family member Steven Woodruff told The Associated Press that the group was camping on wooded land that his nephew, 46-year-old Thomas Kamp, had purchased in August.
The three were joined over weekend by Carl and Cynthia Johnson, and Kamp’s two sons from California. The family was also celebrating Nathan Kamp’s impending 24th birthday.
The Associated Press and Portland Press Herald Staff Writer Dennis Hoey contributed to this report.
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