Suspect in Fatal Attacks on Three Elderly Men on Hawaii’s Big Island Captured After Multi-Day Manhunt
A manhunt that sparked fear across a tight-knit community on Hawaii’s Big Island concluded Thursday evening after authorities arrested Jacob Daniel Baker, 36, the suspect in the killings of three elderly men found dead at different locations over a 48-hour period, police said.
Baker was taken into custody “without incident” after being spotted hiding in a grassy area near a roadside in the Pāhoa region, according to Hawaii Police Chief Reed Mahuna. Officers found him “concealed within a small cave” after a citizen reported seeing him ducking down as cars passed, Mahuna said during a news conference.
“It was a citizen who saw something, said something and helped bring this manhunt to a safe conclusion,” the chief said, thanking the community for its vigilance.
The arrest came nearly three days after the first body was discovered Monday evening. The suspect, described earlier by Mahuna as “armed and extremely dangerous,” faces charges including second-degree murder, burglary and theft. Police said he also stole a car earlier in the week, though the vehicle was not found with him at the time of his arrest.
Authorities have not disclosed a motive for the killings, nor have they detailed the evidence linking Baker to all three deaths. However, Mahuna said at a prior briefing, “We are confident that the suspect here is responsible or involved in all three homicides.”
Two of the victims were identified as Robert Shine and John Carse, both 69-year-old residents of Pāhoa. The third victim, a 79-year-old man, has been identified but his name is being withheld pending family notification, police said.
Shine was found Monday evening partially submerged in a cement pond near his home on Railroad Avenue. An autopsy later determined he died from strangulation. The second victim, the 79-year-old, was discovered Tuesday afternoon at a residence on Papaya Farms Road — just a few hundred feet from the first scene — with blunt force trauma. Hours later, Carse was found at a property on Kalapana Kapoho Beach Road, roughly 19 miles away, dead from sharp force trauma. No firearms were used in any of the attacks, police said.
The killings sent a chill through the normally serene Big Island community, which is more accustomed to volcanic activity than violent crime. Hawaii County Mayor Kimo Alameda called the attacks “deeply impactful” and said Thursday’s arrest represents “an important step forward towards justice and healing for everybody.” Police increased patrols in the affected neighborhoods as residents grappled with fear and uncertainty.
Court documents obtained by CNN reveal that two women filed temporary restraining orders against Baker just days before the bodies were found — both petitions were denied by a judge on Tuesday, the same day two victims were discovered. One of the petitions was filed by the owner of Josanna’s Organic Garden, a farm located on Papaya Farms Road, who alleged Baker had threatened her life and those of three others. A judge ruled there was “insufficient evidence” to establish probable cause for harassment under Hawaiʻi law. The second petition, filed by a friend of the farm owner, said Baker was “threatening to kill them” and that “everyone left because they don’t feel safe.”
The Hawaii Police Department said it was not notified about the restraining order applications, and Chief Mahuna said officers had no recent calls involving Baker prior to March. Police are now investigating why the orders were sought and whether any warning signs were missed.
Neighbors described Baker acting erratically in the days leading up to the killings. Baker was known to the community and to police, but Mahuna said the last verified contact with him was months earlier.
One family member has begun to speak publicly about the tragedy. Anon Shine, daughter of victim Robert Shine, told Hawaii News Now that her father was a farmer who studied biodynamic and Korean natural farming. She described grappling with shock and grief: “I’m just still really in shock and just going through different waves of emotion and disbelief and sadness, looking at old pictures and remembering all the good times.”
Multiple law enforcement agencies assisted in the search, including the U.S. Marshals Service, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security. The case remains under investigation, and police are urging anyone with additional information to come forward.