A man who strangled his 73-year-old lover and entombed him in a bathtub filled with concrete has been sentenced to life in prison in Hawaii.
The Sentence
On Wednesday, 26-year-old Juan Baron was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 20 years. He had pleaded guilty last year to second-degree murder, first-degree theft, and identity theft in connection to the death of Gary Ruby in March 2022.
The sentencing took place in a Honolulu courtroom, with Baron listening through a translator. Ruby’s relatives delivered emotional statements, calling Baron “evil” and condemning the cruelty of the killing.
How the Murder Happened
Police say Baron killed Ruby inside the victim’s multimillion-dollar Hawaii Loa Ridge home on Oahu. The two were in a romantic relationship. According to court records, Baron said he became angry when Ruby revealed he was HIV positive. Soon after, Baron claimed Ruby began choking on food. Baron put a belt around Ruby’s neck and tightened it until he lost consciousness, then dragged him to the bathtub.
In an attempt to stage a suicide, Baron slit Ruby’s wrists. He then poured concrete mixed with coffee grounds into the tub, covering Ruby — who was still alive — until he suffocated. The medical examiner later found cement particles in Ruby’s lungs, proving he was breathing during the entombment.
The Discovery
Ruby’s brother contacted police for a welfare check after not hearing from him for three weeks. When officers first visited the home, Baron was inside and lied about having bought the property from Ruby years earlier. A second search the next day revealed the concrete-filled bathtub with Ruby’s body encased at the bottom.
Arrest in California
Baron fled Hawaii and was found two days later in Anaheim, California, hiding under a bench on a bus headed for Mexico. He was arrested by U.S. Marshals and LAPD officers.
Victim’s Family Speaks Out
During the sentencing, Ruby’s brother told Baron: “You buried him alive. It was not enough for you to murder him — you inflicted horrible, unnecessary suffering. How cold, how cruel, how inhumane, how evil.”
Ruby’s niece said via Zoom that Baron’s actions not only killed her uncle but also destroyed treasured memories when he hijacked Ruby’s social media accounts after the murder.
What Comes Next
Baron, a Colombian national, will be deported to his home country if he is ever released from prison. For now, he faces decades behind bars for a crime described by the victim’s family as both “monstrous” and “inhumane.”
