Key takeaways:
- Jacob Daniel Baker is charged with one count of first-degree murder and three counts of second-degree murder.
- The three victims were Robert Shine, 69; John Carse, 69; and a 79-year-old man whose name has not been released.
- Baker was arrested after being found hiding in a cave following a manhunt involving state and federal authorities.
Jacob Daniel Baker, 36, of Pāhoa, Hawaii, has been charged with one count of first-degree murder and three counts of second-degree murder in connection with the deaths of three elderly men on Hawaii’s Big Island. Authorities announced the charges Saturday following a dayslong manhunt that ended with Baker’s arrest Thursday in Kalapana.
The victims were identified as Robert Shine, 69; John Carse, 69; and a 79-year-old man whose name has not been released pending family notification. Shine and the unidentified man lived within 400 to 500 feet of each other in the Puna District, a rural area on the island’s east coast, while Carse was found about 19 miles away.
Shine’s body was discovered partially submerged in a man-made pond at a residence on Papaya Farms Road in Pāhoa on Monday. An autopsy revealed he died of strangulation. The 79-year-old man was found Tuesday at another nearby residence with suspicious injuries. Carse’s body was located the same day on Kalapana Kapoho Beach Road, and his autopsy showed he died from sharp-force trauma.
In addition to the murder charges, Baker faces multiple counts of burglary, criminal property damage, theft, unauthorized entry into a motor vehicle, breaking into a car, and auto theft. Police have set bail at no bail for the murder charges, meaning Baker will not be eligible for release even if he makes bail on the property crimes.
Authorities described Baker as “armed and extremely dangerous” during the manhunt. He was spotted hiding in a vacant lot, repeatedly ducking down as traffic passed by, before being found hiding in a small cave on a property adjacent to the lot. Hawaii Police Chief Reed Mahuna said investigators have not found any connections between the three victims beyond the proximity of two of the men’s residences. The police chief did not disclose details about how Baker was identified as the suspect or any possible motive.
Baker is scheduled to make his initial court appearance Monday in Hilo District Court. The investigation into the killings remains ongoing.
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