Hawaii man charged with murder in deaths of three people in remote Big Island community
A 36-year-old Hawaii man has been charged with murder in connection with the deaths of three people in a remote Big Island community known for its off-grid lifestyle and tight-knit rural residents.
Authorities say Jacob Daniel Baker faces charges of first- and second-degree murder, along with burglary, auto theft, and criminal property damage. He was ordered held without bond and was scheduled to make his first court appearance on Monday. It was not immediately clear whether he had legal representation.
The charges come after a multi-day manhunt on Hawaii’s Big Island following the discovery of three victims in the rural Puna district, an area characterized by dense jungle, lava fields, and a community where many residents live in informal, communal arrangements.
Investigators say 69-year-old Robert Shine was found dead Monday, partially submerged in a cement pond. The following day, 79-year-old Chitta Morse was discovered a few hundred feet away. Later that same day, authorities located a third victim, 69-year-old John Carse, at a separate property roughly 19 miles from the original scene.
Police have not identified a motive and say there is no known connection between the victims beyond proximity in the area where two of them lived. The investigation remains ongoing.
Residents in the Puna community say tensions had been building in the area prior to the killings. Baker had reportedly been living and working in the region for months, including performing labor such as climbing coconut trees in exchange for housing. According to local accounts, he was later asked to leave after a restraining order was sought by a landowner who said she felt threatened.
Community members also allege that Baker later returned, claiming “squatter’s rights” and made threats toward residents. Court records show that in the days before the killings, two women filed for temporary restraining orders against him, though both requests were denied due to insufficient evidence.
Records also indicate Baker has been named in roughly 20 legal cases over the past two decades, most involving traffic-related matters, and that he frequently represented himself in court proceedings.
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