A suspect in Hawaii faces murder charges following the deaths of three elderly men. Jacob Baker, 36, from Pahoa, Hawaii, has been charged with one count of first-degree murder and three counts of second-degree murder. The charges relate to a suspected triple homicide on Hawaii’s Big Island, according to local police.
In addition to the murder charges, Baker is accused of multiple counts of burglary, criminal property damage, theft, and unauthorized entry into a motor vehicle. The Hawaii Police Department released these details on Sunday.
Baker is in custody without bond for the murder charges. Police apprehended him on Thursday after a manhunt with state and federal authorities declaring him “armed and extremely dangerous.” The alleged killings occurred over two days.
The victims include Robert Shine, 69, John Carse, 69, and a 79-year-old man whose name has not been made public. Each was discovered deceased at different residences in Pahoa.
Authorities found Shine’s body partially submerged in a cement pond, a short distance from the location of the 79-year-old’s body. Carse was discovered about 19 miles away. Baker was captured in Kalapana, around 10 miles from Pahoa, after surveillance footage showed someone matching his description hiding in a vacant lot. Witnesses reported seeing someone “ducking down” as cars passed.
Police located him in a small cave next to the vacant lot, as stated by Hawaii Police Chief Reed Mahuna in a news conference. The police chief did not provide further details on how Baker was identified as the suspect or his potential motives. Investigators have not established connections among the victims, aside from the proximity of two residents.