Trending Now - Hawaii Man Faces Murder Charges in Triple Homicide of Seniors
WHO:
CNN - Jacob Daniel Baker has been named in 20 other cases in the past two decades, primarily traffic infractions.
CNN - Jacob Daniel Baker, 36 years old, is the suspect charged with murder.
CNN - The victims include Robert Shine, 69, Chitta Morse, 79, and John Carse, 69.
CNN - Hawaii Police Chief Reed Mahuna is involved in the investigation.
CNN - Stephen Shaffer, a Puna resident, and Donald Hyatt, a friend of Shaffer’s ex-wife, are mentioned in relation to Baker.
WHAT:
USA Today - Jacob Daniel Baker faces one count of first-degree murder and three counts of second-degree murder in connection with the deaths.
USA Today - Baker has also been charged with multiple counts of theft, burglary, criminal property damage, unauthorized entry into a motor vehicle, and unauthorized control of propelled vehicle.
USA Today - Baker is being held without bond on the murder charges and will not be eligible for release even if he makes bail for the property crimes.
USA Today - Baker was arrested on May 28 after being spotted by a witness and seen on surveillance footage in the Kalapana area.
USA Today - An autopsy determined that Robert Shine's cause of death was strangulation, while John Carse's cause of death was "sharp force trauma."
CNN - Baker was charged with counts of first- and second-degree murder on Saturday.
CBS News - Baker has been charged with murder and other offenses.
CNN - Baker faces counts of first- and second-degree murder, burglary, auto theft, and criminal damage to property.
CNN - Baker was apprehended following a manhunt.
CNN - The three victims were found in a rural community on Hawaii's Big Island.
WHERE:
USA Today - Baker was arrested in the Kaimu area of Kalapana, a coastal town in the Puna district.
CBS News - The incident occurred in a rural part of Hawaii's Big Island.
CNN - The victims were found in the Puna community, known for its tropical landscape.
CNN - Robert Shine was found partially submerged in a cement pond.
CNN - The second victim, Chitta Morse, was discovered a few hundred feet away from Shine.
CNN - John Carse was found at a property 19 miles from where the other two bodies were located.
WHEN:
CNN - Baker's first court appearance is scheduled for Monday.
CNN - The victims were found on Monday and Tuesday.
WHY:
USA Today - A neighbor living on a Pāhoa farm with Baker reported feeling nervous about his aggressive behavior and applied for a temporary restraining order, which was denied.
CNN - A judge denied two women's requests for temporary restraining orders against Baker, stating there was not enough proof of harassment.
CNN - Police have not provided a suspected motive for the killings.
CNN - Two women had requested temporary restraining orders against Baker shortly before the killings, citing threats and harassment.
HOW:
CNN - Baker represented himself in most of the 20 other cases he was named in.
CNN - Baker had previously worked for Shaffer’s ex-wife, climbing coconut trees in exchange for lodging.
CNN - Baker claimed “squatter’s rights” upon returning to the property where he had been living.
(UPDATED June 1, 2026 06:34 UTC)
Jacob Daniel Baker faces serious charges, including one count of first-degree murder and three counts of second-degree murder, connected to the deaths of Robert Shine and John Carse, whose autopsies revealed strangulation and sharp force trauma as causes of death, respectively. In addition to the murder charges, Baker is also facing multiple counts of theft, burglary, and unauthorized vehicle entry, and he is currently being held without bond on the murder charges, meaning he won't be released even if he posts bail for the other offenses. Baker was arrested in the Kaimu area of Kalapana after a witness spotted him and surveillance footage confirmed his presence, following concerns raised by a neighbor about his aggressive behavior.
--
(UPDATED June 1, 2026 01:43 UTC)
Jacob Daniel Baker has been charged with counts of first- and second-degree murder after a recent incident. Over the past two decades, he has been named in twenty other cases, primarily related to traffic infractions, and he often represented himself in those matters. A judge recently denied two women's requests for temporary restraining orders against Baker, citing insufficient evidence of harassment.
--
(UPDATED May 31, 2026 21:14 UTC)
Jacob Daniel Baker, 36, has been charged with murder and other offenses following a manhunt, with the victims being Robert Shine, 69, Chitta Morse, 79, and John Carse, 69, found in a rural community on Hawaii's Big Island. Baker faces serious charges, including first- and second-degree murder, burglary, auto theft, and criminal damage to property, and his first court appearance is set for Monday. Police have not disclosed a motive for the killings, but it was noted that two women had sought temporary restraining orders against Baker shortly before the incidents, citing threats and harassment.