Authorities have charged Jacob Baker, a 36-year-old from Pahoa, Hawaii, with multiple serious offenses, including one count of first-degree murder and three counts of second-degree murder related to a series of killings on Hawaii’s Big Island. Additional charges include burglary, criminal property damage, theft, and unauthorized entry into a vehicle.
Baker’s charges stem from the deaths of three elderly men found over two days in Pahoa. The victims were identified as Robert Shine, 69, John Carse, 69, and an unnamed 79-year-old man. Detectives found Shine’s body partly submerged in a cement pond, near the 79-year-old’s location, while Carse’s remains were located 19 miles away.
After a manhunt involving local and federal authorities, police apprehended Baker in Kalapana, roughly 10 miles from Pahoa, where surveillance footage suggested he might be hiding in a nearby vacant lot. Reports indicated he was seen trying to avoid detection by traffic. Ultimately, police located Baker in a small cave on an adjacent property.
During a news conference, Hawaii Police Chief Reed Mahuna confirmed Baker’s arrest but did not provide information on a possible motive or how Baker became a suspect. As of now, no known connections between the victims have been established, except for their proximity to each other.