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<\/a>An unmarked police truck drives up Papaya Farms Road in Puna in search of Jacob Baker on May 27, 2026. (Kelsey Walling\/Big Island Now)<\/p>\nThe second victim, a 79-year-old man, was found on Tuesday at approximately 12:39 p.m. about 400 to 500 yards away from the home of the first victim, both near Papaya Farms Road in P\u0101hoa. Officers found the second victim with apparent blunt force trauma injuries, Lewis said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBased off of these injuries observed, detectives were able to determine early in the investigation that this case was a homicide,\u201d Lewis said.<\/p>\n
Later Tuesday, at 9:58 p.m., a third victim, age 69, was found 19 miles away in a residence on the 12-7800 block of Kalapana Kapoho Beach Road in P\u0101hoa.<\/p>\n
Lewis said officers were making a welfare check on the man, but when they arrived, they found him dead with apparent injuries, but did not say what type. An autopsy has been ordered to determine the exact cause of death.<\/p>\n
Police did not identify the victims. But Don Hyatt, a friend of the first two victims, identified them as Bob Shine and Chitta Morse.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I heard my friend Bob died, at that point it sounded like an accident,\u201d Hyatt said. \u201cHe was found in a catchment tank. You know, (expletive) happens. But then I learned Chitta was killed, and not only just killed, but like hacked up.\u201d<\/p>\n Hawai\u2018i Police Chief Reed Mahuna said during a press conference on Wednesday: \u201cOur officers and investigators have been working around the clock since this first incident was reported.\u201d<\/p>\n Mahuna said at this time police do not have a motive for the deaths of the men or know how they are connected, however, he said the department is confident that Baker is involved in all three homicides and acted alone.<\/p>\n Just four days before the first murder, two women tried to file a restraining order against Baker, according to court filings in the 3rd Circuit Court.<\/p>\n Janelle Honer, owner of Josanna\u2019s Organic Farms, said Baker threatened her life, the life of a disabled man and the lives of three people currently living on her farm. She stated that Baker has made multiple threats in the past.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t feel safe,\u201d the complainant writes. \u201cHe will enter our property and take items. Threaten us. Says he wants to squat there.\u201d<\/p>\n On the petition, Honer wrote about Baker\u2019s address: \u201cRaised by wolves on instagram.\u201d<\/p>\n Another woman said she was staying on a friend\u2019s farm, but realized that all the women left because Baker was threatening to kill them.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s been intimidating the owner of the farm and threatening to harm her,\u201d the complaintant writes. \u201cHe also threatened guests on the farm that just arrived.\u201d <\/p>\n She wrote in all caps: \u201cEVERYONE LEFT BECAUSE THEY DON\u2019T FEEL SAFE.\u201d She added: \u201cPlease approved this as soon as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n The complainant included a link to a video that she said showed Baker making a direct threat. The link no longer exists.<\/p>\n On May 26, Judge Kanani Laubach denied both temporary restraining order petitions citing there was insufficient evidence to amount to a probable cause to believe an act of harassment occurred.<\/p>\n Hyatt, who also is friends with Honer, said she called him a few days ago about Baker, who had been living in a cabin at the farm in trade for work.<\/p>\n \u201cHe had disappeared for a couple of months and left the cabin in disarray, with outside trash and furniture just sitting outside,\u201d Hyatt said. \u201cThen he came back and wanted to stay. He came back and threatened her, and her dog. I told her she needed to get a TRO (temporary restraining order) on this guy.\u201d<\/p>\n Mahuna said the department was not aware of the death threats.<\/p>\n Mahuna also told members of the media on Wednesday that he understands the fear and concerns incidents like this bring to the community.<\/p>\n \u201cI want to assure the public that we have mobilized significant resources and personnel to address this situation swiftly and thoroughly,\u201d Mahuna said. \u201cBringing this suspect into custody without anyone further being harmed is the number one priority of this police department.\u201d<\/p>\n Mahuna\u2019s message to Baker was to turn himself in.<\/p>\n Baker is described as Asian, 5 feet 9 inches tall, about 190 pounds, with short black hair. He also has a fresh tattoo under his left eye.<\/p>\n \u201cWe would like him to contact the police, turn himself in, and don\u2019t risk any further harm to anyone else or himself,\u201d the chief said.<\/p>\n While Baker is considered armed and very dangerous, it is not known if he has a firearm. None of the murders were committed with a gun, Mahuna said.<\/p>\n Police urge the public not to approach him. If seen, members of the public should contact 911 or 808-935-3311.<\/p>\n Mahuna expressed sympathy to the victim\u2019s families. Hyatt said Morse was known as the \u201cguru of permaculture out here in Puna. Permaculture. You know, just living off the land. He was such a cool dude.\u201d<\/p>\n Hyatt said Shine was a transplant from the mainland. \u201cHe was just a really nice, sweet guy. I mean, he\u2019s a little eclectic and a little ecentric, but I mean it just added to his charm.\u201d<\/p>\n Hyatt added: \u201cI hope they get this guy. Puna has so many crazy (expletives) out here.\u201d<\/p>\n On Wednesday, an unmarked police vehicle drove slowly up Papaya Farms Road looking for open gates or pedestrians who may know Baker. Two officers stopped to talk to Adam, a landscaper who was collecting coconuts and declined to give his last name. <\/p>\n \u201cI only heard about this this\u00a0morning,\u201d Adam said. \u201cI don\u2019t think anyone is nervous right now since his identity is everywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n Located behind miles of lava fields in Puna, Papaya Farms Road is in a rural area in Kapoho about 10 miles east of P\u0101hoa.\u00a0Residents are often living off grid and service is spotty at best.<\/p>\n Michael S Leroux, who works at Josanna\u2019s, said: \u201cI\u2019ve met the suspect in person and (his) place is right near my cottage stay. It\u2019s\u00a0been very eerie going to sleep at night.\u201d<\/p>\n Police ask anyone with information regarding this investigation or Baker\u2019s whereabouts to contact Detective Duane Rapoza at (808) 961-2383 or via email at\u00a0Duane.Rapoza@hawaiipolice.gov<\/a>, or Detective Sy Keltner at (808) 961-2384 or via email at\u00a0Sy.Keltner@hawaiipolice.gov<\/a>. Members of the public may also call the police department\u2019s non-emergency number at (808) 935-3311.<\/p>\n Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 808-961-8300 and may be eligible for a reward up to $1,000. All Crime Stoppers information is confidential.<\/p>\n This is an active and unfolding investigation. More information will be released as it becomes available.<\/p>\n Big Island Now reporter Kelsey Walling and Kaua\u02bbi Now reporter Xiomara Yamileth contributed to this report.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Editor\u2019s note: This story has been updated at 4 p.m. on May 27, 2026. The manhunt continues Wednesday…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":670905,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[292738,292739,4,450,292740,5379,292741,66446,292742,66447,451,694,6270,292743,292744,13892,13893,3,292745,292746,292747,292748,452,453],"class_list":["post-670904","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-breaking-news","tag-big-island-homicides","tag-big-island-murders","tag-breaking-news","tag-breakingnews","tag-denise-laitinen","tag-hawaii-county","tag-hawaii-homicides","tag-hawaii-island-police","tag-hawaii-murders","tag-hawaii-police-department","tag-headlines","tag-homicide","tag-investigation","tag-jacob-baker","tag-jacob-daniel-baker","tag-kauai-news","tag-kauai-now","tag-news","tag-papaya-farms-road","tag-puna-homicides","tag-puna-murders","tag-rio-amon-wilkins","tag-top-stories","tag-topstories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/670904","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=670904"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/670904\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/670905"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=670904"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=670904"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=670904"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/a>Left to right: Bob Shine, 69, and Chitta Morse, 79 (Photo courtesy: Don Hyatt)<\/p>\n<\/a>On May 22, a woman requested a restraining order against Jacob Baker, saying he threatened to kill people at a farm. (Screenshot: Court Document)<\/p>\n<\/a>Capt. Jeremy Scott Lewis gives a timeline of three homicides connected to suspect Jacob Daniel Baker during a press conference in Hilo on May 27, 2026. (Kelsey Walling\/Big Island Now)<\/p>\n<\/a>Tattoo on Jacob Baker\u2019s face. (Photo courtesy: Hawai\u2018i Police Department)<\/p>\n<\/a>Papaya Farms Road in Puna on May 27, 2026. (Kelsey Walling\/Big Island Now)<\/p>\n