A man wanted for three killings has been apprehended after an intense search of Hawaii’s Big Island
Police say tips from the public helped end a two-day manhunt, and Baker now faces murder and burglary charges in the deaths of three older men.
- On Thursday, May 28, 2026, authorities arrested Jacob Daniel Baker, 36, in a small cave in the Kaimu area, ending a two-day multiagency manhunt across Hawaii's Big Island.
- The homicides occurred over two days, beginning Monday with Robert Shine, 69, found strangled, followed Tuesday by Chitta Morse, 79, who died of blunt-force trauma, and John Carse, 69, from sharp-force injuries.
- Days before the killings, two women filed temporary restraining order petitions against Baker alleging threats and harassment; Hilo District Judge Kanani Laubach denied both, citing insufficient evidence of harassment.
- Prosecutors charged Baker with first-degree murder and three second-degree murder counts on Saturday, May 30, 2026; he remains in custody without bail pending his initial court appearance.
- Mayor Kimo Alameda described the killings as "very unsettling," noting they caused significant fear in Puna, while police continue investigating without identifying a motive for the triple homicide.
128 Articles
128 Articles
Man charged with murder in deaths of 3 men on Hawaii’s Big Island
A man accused of killing three people in a rural Hawaii community has been charged with multiple criminal offenses, including murder, authorities said. Jacob Daniel Baker, 36, of Pāhoa, Hawaii, faces one count of first-degree murder and three counts of second-degree murder in connection with the deaths, the Hawaiʻi Police Department said in a news release on Saturday. He has also been charged with multiple counts of theft, burglary, criminal pro…
Suspect charged in killings of three people after Hawaii manhunt
Jacob Daniel Baker is scheduled to make his first court appearance on Monday
A man was arrested in an impressive operation in Hawaii, United States, after local authorities sought him out for being responsible for three murders. Jacob Baker, 36 years old, was located after several witnesses saw him hiding in a small cave. Details of the triple homicide in Pahoa The first victim was found on the morning of Monday, May 25, 2026. The body was partially submerged in a cement pit in the town of Pahoa. The second victim was fo…
Hawaii island triple-homicide suspect caught with public’s help
Tips from the public led to the arrest Thursday afternoon of a Hawaii island man wanted in a triple homicide earlier this week, ending a manhunt that had residents of the Puna district on edge for two days. Hawaii Police Department Chief Reed Mahuna said at a news conference that 36-year-old Jacob Daniel Baker of Pahoa was apprehended without incident “at approximately 2:38 p.m. in the Kaimu Cove, Kaimu-Kalapana area.” Mahuna said it started wit…
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