The Hawaii Police Department has charged 36-year-old Jacob Daniel Baker with first-degree murder and three counts of second-degree murder following a manhunt on the Big Island.
Authorities say Baker killed three men in Puna, a rural community known for its off-the-grid lifestyle.
>>> Stalled Global Treaty Intensifies Residential Plastic Film Management Challenges
Officers also charged Baker with first-degree burglary, unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle, first-degree theft, two counts of fourth-degree criminal property damage, fourth-degree theft, and first-degree unauthorized entry into a motor vehicle.
Discovery of Victims
Patrol officers responded to an unknown disturbance on May 25, 2026, at Papaya Farms Road in Pahoa.
They found the first victim, 69-year-old Robert Shine, partially submerged in a cement pond.
An autopsy indicated Shine died of strangulation, though the final ruling is pending.
>>> Blake Lively Demands Legal Fees from Co-Star Justin Baldoni
Police discovered the second victim, a 79-year-old man identified by friends as Chitta Morse, on Tuesday a few hundred feet from the first scene.
Investigators found the third victim, 69-year-old John Carse, late Tuesday at a property located 19 miles from the initial two bodies.
Legal Proceedings
Baker's bail for the property offenses was set at $193,000. Judges ordered him held without bond for the murder charges at the East Hawaii Detention Center.
Baker was scheduled to make his initial court appearance on Monday afternoon, June 1, 2026, in Hilo District Court.
>>> Fuel Spill Seeps Into National Mall Rainwater Cisterns After Event
The Area I Criminal Investigation Section is continuing the investigation. Authorities have requested anyone with information to contact Detective Duane Rapoza Jr. or the department's non-emergency line.
