Authorities in Hawaii have charged a 36-year-old man with murder in connection with the deaths of three people in a remote community known for its eclectic, communal lifestyle. The Hawaii Police Department said Jacob Daniel Baker was charged on Saturday with first- and second-degree murder. He remained in custody without bail on Sunday and was scheduled to make his first court appearance on Monday. It was not immediately clear whether he had legal representation.
The charges come two days after Baker was arrested following a manhunt on Hawaii's Big Island, where the three victims were found in the rural Puna district, an area known for its lush tropical landscape and free-spirited community. Police have not given a suspected motive for the killings. Hawaii Police Chief Reed Mahuna has said investigators found no connections among the victims other than that two of them lived near each other.
Robert Shine, 69, was found dead Monday partially submerged in a cement pond, according to police. The second victim, a 79-year-old man, was discovered Tuesday a few hundred feet away. Friends identified him as Chitta Morse. Police found the third victim, 69-year-old John Carse, late Tuesday at a property 19 miles (31 kilometers) from where the other two bodies were located.
In addition to the murder charges, Baker also faces counts of burglary, auto theft and criminal damage to property. The killings left residents on edge in Puna, a community set amid lush jungle and barren lava fields where people seeking to live off-grid commonly trade work for lodging.
Puna resident Stephen Shaffer said that Baker had worked for his ex-wife, climbing coconut trees on land where she grows fruit, in exchange for a place to live. After several months, Shaffer said, his ex-wife sought a restraining order against Baker, saying she felt threatened by him. Donald Hyatt, a friend of Shaffer's ex-wife and of two of the men killed, said Baker left the cabin where he had been living months ago. Hyatt said that Baker recently returned claiming "squatter's rights" and threatened Shaffer's ex.
Just days before the killings, two women had requested temporary restraining orders against Baker, saying he had threatened and harassed them, according to court records. A judge denied both applications, saying there was not enough proof of harassment. Court records showed Baker named in 20 other cases in the past two decades, many of them traffic infractions. In most of those cases, Baker had no attorney and represented himself.
