HONOLULU — Authorities in Hawaii have charged a 36‑year‑old man, Jacob Daniel Baker, with first‑degree and second‑degree murder for the killings of three elderly men in the remote Puna community on the Big Island.
Baker was taken into custody following a week‑long manhunt that ended on Tuesday night. The Hawaii Police Department announced the arrest in a news release and said Baker remains jailed without bond. His first court appearance is slated for Monday, and it’s unclear if he has legal counsel.
The three victims — Robert Shine, 69; Chitta Morse, 79; and John Carse, 69 — were found dead over the course of three days, all in rural Puna, a region that blends lush jungle with barren lava fields and is home to many off‑grid residents who trade labor for lodging. Shine was discovered Monday partially submerged in a cement pond. Morse was found Tuesday a few hundred feet away, and Carse’s body was recovered late Tuesday at a property 19 miles from the others.
Police have not yet identified a motive for the murders. Chief Reed Mahuna stated that investigators found no link among the victims beyond proximity. Baker also faces additional charges of burglary, auto theft and criminal damage to property.
The killings have left the tight‑knit Puna community on edge. It was reported that Baker had previously worked with Stephen Shaffer’s ex‑wife, climbing coconut trees in exchange for accommodation, but was later ordered to leave the cabin by Shaffer’s ex‑wife, who claimed she felt threatened. Friends of the victims say Baker returned claiming “squatter’s rights” and threatened the ex‑wife.
The court records show Baker had been named in 20 other cases over the past two decades, many traffic infractions. In most of those cases, Baker represented himself and had no attorney.
Resident Stephen Shaffer said that just weeks before the killings, two women sought temporary restraining orders against Baker, alleging harassment and threat, but a judge denied both applications for lack of evidence. The case has raised questions about the safety and legal protections available to off‑grid residents in Hawaii’s remote communities.
The investigation is ongoing. The police department’s briefing notes do not list the suspect’s motive, but law‑enforcement officials are continuing to examine the circumstances of the deaths.
(Penultimate under-reported mystery of Puna’s lush jungle, barren lava, and communal living.)
Baker was taken into custody following a week‑long manhunt that ended on Tuesday night. The Hawaii Police Department announced the arrest in a news release and said Baker remains jailed without bond. His first court appearance is slated for Monday, and it’s unclear if he has legal counsel.
The three victims — Robert Shine, 69; Chitta Morse, 79; and John Carse, 69 — were found dead over the course of three days, all in rural Puna, a region that blends lush jungle with barren lava fields and is home to many off‑grid residents who trade labor for lodging. Shine was discovered Monday partially submerged in a cement pond. Morse was found Tuesday a few hundred feet away, and Carse’s body was recovered late Tuesday at a property 19 miles from the others.
Police have not yet identified a motive for the murders. Chief Reed Mahuna stated that investigators found no link among the victims beyond proximity. Baker also faces additional charges of burglary, auto theft and criminal damage to property.
The killings have left the tight‑knit Puna community on edge. It was reported that Baker had previously worked with Stephen Shaffer’s ex‑wife, climbing coconut trees in exchange for accommodation, but was later ordered to leave the cabin by Shaffer’s ex‑wife, who claimed she felt threatened. Friends of the victims say Baker returned claiming “squatter’s rights” and threatened the ex‑wife.
The court records show Baker had been named in 20 other cases over the past two decades, many traffic infractions. In most of those cases, Baker represented himself and had no attorney.
Resident Stephen Shaffer said that just weeks before the killings, two women sought temporary restraining orders against Baker, alleging harassment and threat, but a judge denied both applications for lack of evidence. The case has raised questions about the safety and legal protections available to off‑grid residents in Hawaii’s remote communities.
The investigation is ongoing. The police department’s briefing notes do not list the suspect’s motive, but law‑enforcement officials are continuing to examine the circumstances of the deaths.
(Penultimate under-reported mystery of Puna’s lush jungle, barren lava, and communal living.)
