Frederick man ordered to serve 40 years for murder; motive unknown

Mary Grace Keller, The Frederick News-Post, Md.
·3 min read
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Oct. 8—A Frederick man was ordered on Friday to serve 40 years in prison for murder, and the motive of the fatal shooting is still unknown.

Joshua David Eckenrode, now 20, fatally shot 19-year-old Frederick resident Curtis Mason Smith, who was reported missing March 19, 2021, according to a news release Friday from the Frederick County State's Attorney's Office.

Smith — who was known by his middle name, Mason — was found dead March 21 in a vehicle on an abandoned property in the 8100 block of Runnymeade Drive, which is near Frederick Community College, according to the Frederick County Sheriff's Office. He suffered a gunshot wound to the head, police said.

Detectives determined Eckenrode and Smith agreed to the sale of a firearm at Eckenrode's residence. During the transaction, Eckenrode shot Smith, according to Friday's release from the state's attorney's office.

The two went to high school together, according to the sheriff's office.

Early in the investigation, police suspected Eckenrode had been planning a mass casualty event. However, Frederick County State's Attorney Charlie Smith said in an interview Friday that nothing in the investigation revealed such a plan, or a motive for the fatal shooting.

"The investigation never revealed any motive for the shooting," Charlie Smith said.

Charging documents from 2021 said police found nine firearms, two improvised explosive devices, bomb-making materials and a written "plan of action" after searching Eckenrode's apartment in the 6700 block of Mountaindale Road, which is between Frederick and Thurmont, as well as a Bethel Road address associated with him in Frederick.

"While there was a note referencing the guns and ammo he liked to carry on himself and in his car, there was no evidence of any plan of action or attempt to harm anyone," Charlie Smith wrote in a text message Friday.

The public defender's office could not be reached for comment after business hours Friday.

The investigation uncovered social media messages that showed Mason Smith attempting to sell a gun to Eckenrode, Charlie Smith said. There were also messages from Mason Smith to another person regarding him selling a handgun, from the same day he was killed, according to Charlie Smith.

Charlie Smith said he did not know for certain who agreed to sell the gun to whom when Eckenrode and Mason Smith met.

Eckenrode entered binding guilty pleas on Friday, according to the state's attorney's office, meaning the sentence cannot be modified unless all parties agree.

Eckenrode pleaded guilty on Friday to first-degree murder, for which Judge Julie Stevenson Solt sentenced him to life with all but 40 years suspended in the Division of Correction.

He also pleaded guilty to possessing a destructive device, possessing explosives without a license and two related weapons charges, for which Solt sentenced him to 51 years, all suspended. The suspended 51-year sentence is consecutive to the first-degree murder sentence.

Upon release, Eckenrode is to serve five years of supervised probation, the release said. His probation conditions order him to have no contact with the victim's family and to undergo GPS monitoring.

The victim's family is relieved and happy with the outcome, Charlie Smith said, conveying a message from Chief Assistant State's Attorney Rebecca Clinton.