HONOLULU, HI – Just over two years after the gruesome death of a Honolulu man in his upscale home, the man responsible faced sentencing in a Hawaii courtroom. Juan Baron, 26, was ordered Wednesday to serve life in prison for murdering his 73-year-old partner, Gary Ruby, and attempting to conceal the crime in a manner authorities described as chilling.
Baron had previously pleaded guilty to charges of second-degree murder, first-degree theft, and identity theft in connection with the 2022 killing, which drew widespread attention due to its disturbing details and the victim’s prominence. According to court documents and police accounts, Baron strangled Ruby and encased his body in concrete inside a bathtub while he was still alive.
The severity of the crime and the manner in which it was carried out devastated Ruby’s family, who addressed Baron during the sentencing hearing. A translator relayed the sentence to Baron, who listened as family members described the agony and horror caused by his actions.
On March 7, 2022, family members contacted Honolulu police to conduct a welfare check at Ruby’s recently purchased mansion in the exclusive Hawaii Loa Ridge neighborhood. According to investigators, Baron was present at the home when officers arrived and initially claimed he had bought the property from Ruby several years prior. Officers grew suspicious after noting inconsistencies in Baron’s account, particularly as property records showed Ruby’s ownership began only two years earlier.
The day after the welfare check, authorities searched the residence more thoroughly and discovered a bathtub filled with a hardened, concrete-like substance, topped with coffee grounds. Encased at the bottom, officers found Ruby’s remains. The medical examiner later confirmed that traces of cement were present in the victim’s lungs, indicating he had still been breathing as the concrete was poured.
After the discovery, Baron fled Oahu, prompting a nationwide manhunt. He was located two days later by law enforcement in Anaheim, California, hiding under a bench aboard a bus headed to Mexico. Upon his arrest, Baron spoke with detectives, providing a statement in which he claimed a confrontation with Ruby escalated after learning the older man was HIV positive. Baron described choking Ruby and attempting to stage the death as a suicide.
However, evidence gathered in the home and through police interviews painted a premeditated and calculated effort to conceal the crime and take over Ruby’s identity. Prosecutors said Baron accessed Ruby’s social media accounts to impersonate him in an attempt to mislead family and friends.
At the sentencing, Ruby’s relatives expressed anguish over the nature of the killing, denouncing Baron’s cruelty and inhumanity in emotional remarks addressed to the court. Family members described ongoing trauma, particularly after learning Ruby had been alive as he was encased in concrete.
Baron, a citizen of Colombia, faces deportation to his home country if he is eventually released from prison. Under the sentence imposed Wednesday, he would be eligible for parole after serving 20 years.
The case has left a profound impact on the local community and the victim’s family, who continue to grieve the brutal and senseless loss of their loved one.