Jacob Baker connected to 3 murders in Puna by new tattoo, witness testimony, evidence left behind

A new tattoo, witness testimony, a notebook and other evidence left at the crime scenes became the connecting threads between a 36-year-old and the grizzly murders of three elderly men in Puna, according to the Hawaiʻi Police Department’s probable cause document.

The document was submitted Monday to Hilo District Court before Jacob Baker’s initial hearing for the murders and other charges related to last week’s killing spree.

Judge Jeffrey Hawk denied bail for Baker and granted a defense request for Baker to undergo a comprehensive mental fitness examination.

The probable cause document revealed disturbing details of the murders, which took place at three locations on Monday, May 25, and Tuesday, May 26.

On May 25, at about 6:30 p.m., Puna patrol officers responded to a report of an unknown disturbance at a home on Papaya Farms Road. Jacob Spandl told an officer he had gotten into a physical altercation with Baker, who had been a guest on the property for the past four days.

Spandl said during the confrontation his dog began barking at Baker, who then kicked the dog. Spandl said he responded by punching Baker multiple times in the face. Baker then yelled, “Bob is dead! Bob is dead! Bob is dead!”

Spandl told officers the only “Bob” known around the neighborhood was 69-year-old Robert Shine, who lived in the property behind their home.

Puna patrol officers searched Shine’s igloo-shaped residence on Railroad Avenue and found his body fully submerged and face down in a concrete fish pond about 4-feet tall and 10- to 12-feet wide. Officers saw blood coming from his eyes and nose, and minor abrasions to his shoulder, mid-back, face and nose. The victim was identified as Shine.

Officers saw a notebook bearing the letters “LF” near where Shine appeared to sleep, and they saw “La Flaquitas” written on the wall.

The detective assigned to the case received a text the next day from Spandl saying Baker had recently received a tattoo at Electric Jungle Tattoo in Pāhoa. Spandl also sent a photo of Baker with the tattoo below his eye that said “La Flaquitas.”

The meaning “la flaquitas” depends heavily on context, with it sometimes used as a nickname or term of endearment among friends, family or romantic partners similarly to “babe.” It also can be used as a casual way to get someone’s attention, like “Hey, girl.”

But the phrase also is a popular nickname in Mexico referring to the skeletal figure Santa Muerte, or Our Lady of Holy Death.

On Wednesday, an autopsy was conducted on Shine by Dr. Brett Ferguson. He noted a long list of injuries, including multiple fractures to Shine’s ribs, contusions consistent with brunt force trauma, fractures indicative of severe strangulation and drag marks to the back. No water was present in the lungs or sinus cavity, indicating that Shine was dead before being placed in the water. Ferguson determined the cause of death as strangulation.

The probable cause documentation also included details reported by police for the other two murders in the spree.

At 12:39 p.m. on Tuesday, Puna patrol officers responded to a call from a person who had discovered 79-year-old Frederick “Chitta” Morse unresponsive in his bed at his residence, which was in close proximity to Shine’s home.

Blood spatter was on the headboard, floor and bed surrounding Morse, who sustained traumatic injuries to his face, chest and hand. He has several fingers severed and significant blood covering his face.

Officers noted the words “LF” and “Santa Muerte” were written on the headboard in what appeared to be pencil. Near Morse’s body was a piece of scrap wood bearing the words “Pedofilio,” “Drogos” and “LACOCAINA.”

At 10 p.m. on Tuesday, John Carse’s roommate and tenant reported that Carse was missing to police.

While checking the property, police located blood in the driveway. Nearby was a black rubber slipper and a pair of eyeglasses. Police also found along the driveway a baseball cap that had been thrown in the brush, a hat 15 feet away, and a brown paper bag containing a black box with items that included a Microtech Dirac Delta D/E Outbreak knife box bearing a barcode number and an S. Tokunaga Store price sticker of $444.00.

As police continued down the driveway they noticed corrugated roofing material lying in nearby brush. Under the material they found Carse lying face down in the dirt. Police rolled the body over and saw multiple lacerations on the face and neck.

On Wednesday morning, a detective received an email from a woman who said she had known Baker for about a year. She said he had come to her home in Pāhoa on Tuesday and described his behavior as erratic, aggressive, upset and hyperverbal. He also claimed to be a cartel sicario (hitman) and spoke to her in Spanish.

Haag said Baker asked her to drive him to Hilo to go shopping at the S. Tokunaga Store, and then to a tattoo shop in Pāhoa.

She said Baker showed her a newly purchased knife and stated he would “shank all the rapists in Pāhoa and anyone who messed with him.”

Haag said Baker also told her the island was full of rapists and pedophiles and he wanted to “chop them up with machetes.”

Then she dropped him off in Kalapana.

While conducting checks at S. Tokunaga Store at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, the receipt associated with Baker showed a pair of Olukai Pili Sandals, Microtech Dirac Delta 227-10BDS knife, Cobratec Knuckles (Red) and Cobratec Knuckles (Silver) were purchased.

Detectives re-visited the crime scene at Morse’s home on Kalapana Kapoho Beach Road and found an unzipped duffle bag with two paperback books and a black plastic case on top of a green sheet. The exterior of the case had a red snake design and writing that reads “Cobratec Knives.”

On Wednesday, Ferguson performed an autopsy on Carse and found that he had suffered multiple knife wounds to his face, multiple fractures, including to his sternum, abrasions to his back consistent with dragging, a defensive wound to his finger and a broken jaw that could have been caused by metal knuckles.

Before Baker was arrested at 2:38 p.m. on Thursday, May 28, investigators viewed surveillance footage obtained from S. Tokunaga Store that showed Baker buying a knife, two brass knuckles and a pair of sandals with cash at approximately 8:31 a.m. on May 26.

On Friday, May 29, investigators viewed contents of a notebook that Baker left behind at Spandl’s residence. Police say these were excerpts written by Baker:

• “Santa Muerte,” “No LSD no Ketamine,” “La Coca is a plant aliken to cannabis,” “(plant based]” was connected by arrows on Page 10
• “Iglesia De La Santa Muerte” and “Chewable cocaine ok” on Page 12
• “Iglesia de la Santa Muerte discord” on Page 15
• La Flaquitas™ was written as an apparent signature on Page 16
• “Sharp knives = sent in by followers”, “Instagram*,”- La Flaquitas dc la primavera,” and “Hawaiian X mex X Japanese” on Page 17
• =”Santa Muerte de la Gudalajara™ on Page 22
• “So much motol”, *[Operation clean up Puna has begun]”, and “Dead in Dancing” on Page 30
• “Every single person is chitta, LOL” on Page 32