Man Charged in Triple Murder on Hawaii’s Big Island Ordered to Undergo Mental Fitness Exam; Prosecutors Cite ‘Heinous’ Killings of Elderly Victims
HONOLULU (AP) — A 36-year-old man accused of murdering three elderly men on Hawaii’s Big Island appeared in court Monday, where a judge granted a defense request for a psychological evaluation to determine whether he is mentally fit to stand trial. Prosecutors are seeking the maximum penalty—life in prison without the possibility of parole—arguing that the slayings were “especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel” and that the victims, all over the age of 60, were targeted in part because of their vulnerability.
Jacob Baker is charged with three counts of second-degree murder in connection with the deaths of Robert Shine, 69; John Carse, 69; and Frederick Morse, 79, who was known to friends as “Chitta.” The killings, which unfolded last week in the remote, jungle-clad Puna district of the Big Island, have rattled a community known for its off-grid lifestyle and tight-knit, free-spirited residents.
Authorities say the nature of the attacks was unusually brutal. According to a probable cause affidavit, Morse was found dead in his bed with several severed fingers. Shine’s body was discovered submerged face-down in a concrete fishpond, with fractured ribs and evidence of strangulation. Carse was found face-down in dirt under corrugated roofing material; an autopsy revealed cuts to his face, severed neck muscles, a broken jaw, and other injuries.
The case has drawn attention to the challenges of policing rural Hawaii, where vast lava fields and dense rainforest can make manhunts difficult. Baker was arrested after a multi-day search that involved helicopter flyovers and ground teams sweeping the Puna area, a region where many residents live without paved roads or reliable cell service.
Court documents also reveal disturbing statements Baker allegedly made in the hours before the bodies were found. A woman told police she drove Baker to a store in Hilo, the island’s largest town east of the Kīlauea volcano, and that on the return trip he showed her a newly purchased knife and said he would “shank all the rapists in Pahoa and anyone who messed with him.” The woman described him as erratic, aggressive, and hyperverbal, and said he referred to himself using the Spanish word for hitman. Police say they also found that Baker had purchased brass knuckles and later got a tattoo under his left eye at a local shop.
If a jury finds that Baker knew the victims were older men or that the killings were especially heinous, he could face life without parole. Without such a finding, parole would be possible after a minimum prison term. Baker is being held without bail. A report on his mental fitness examination is due by Aug. 4, with a court hearing scheduled for Aug. 11.
The slayings have left residents of the Puna community on edge, grieving neighbors who recall the victims as gentle, quiet men. The area, a mix of lush tropical vegetation and barren lava fields, has long attracted people seeking to live off the grid, often bartering work for lodging. For many, the violence represents a jarring break from the relative peace of island life.