Authorities in Hawaii have arrested Jacob Daniel Baker, 36, in connection with the killings of three elderly men on the Big Island. The arrest came after an extensive manhunt that involved multiple federal and state agencies.
Police discovered the bodies of Robert Shine, 69, and a 79-year-old man on Tuesday in separate locations. Later that evening, officers found John Carse, 69, dead at a home 19 miles away. All three victims were elderly men, and their deaths were deemed suspicious.
Baker was taken into custody on Thursday afternoon after a citizen reported seeing him hiding in a field. Officers tracked him via surveillance footage to a small cave, where he was arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder, burglary, and theft. Police have not yet disclosed how the killings are linked or whether Baker will face first-degree murder charges.
Prior to the killings, two women had sought restraining orders against Baker, alleging threats and harassment, but a judge denied the applications due to insufficient evidence. Hawaii police stated they were unaware of those allegations at the time.
Hawaii County Mayor Kimo Alameda expressed gratitude to law enforcement, saying the incident had unsettled the rural community. Baker, who has a history of representing himself in court, had no attorney listed as of the report.
