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July 3, 2025 25 mins

He told them he was house-sitting.
That Gary was off-island.
That everything was fine.

The police believed him—and walked away.

But sealed inside the bathtub of a luxury Hawaii Loa Ridge home… was a body.
Wrapped in plastic. Bound. Gagged. Buried beneath wet concrete and layered with coffee grounds.

The killer hadn’t fled the scene.
He was still inside—calm, barefoot, and smiling.

This is the story of Juan Tejedor Baron and the brutal murder of 73-year-old Gary Ruby, a retired man who opened his home and heart to someone he barely knew.
It’s a case that reveals what happens when trust becomes a weapon—and silence sets like cement.

He poured the concrete himself.
He stayed in the house for days.
And when the police knocked the first time… he answered the door.

This episode explores the methodical cover-up, the heartbreaking confession, and a justice system that offered 20 years in return for a life taken—and sealed shut.

⚠️ Listener discretion advised: this episode contains descriptions of murder, body concealment, intimate partner violence, and themes of HIV stigma and age-based targeting.

If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse, isolation, or threats, help is available. Contact the Hawaii State Crisis Line at 1-800-753-6879 or the National LGBTQ+ Helpline at 888-843-4564.

If you have information about unsolved crimes in Hawaii, call Honolulu CrimeStoppers at (808) 955-8300 or submit an anonymous tip at honolulucrimestoppers.org.


Follow Beneath the Palms and leave a review to support this work. Sharing helps keep these stories alive.
🎵 Music: “Obsession” by Yoza – used with permission
📚 Sources: Hawaii News Now, Star-Advertiser, Associated Press, NBC News, The Advocate, The Washington Post, official court records, and police transcripts
#GaryRuby #ConcreteBathtubMurder #BeneathThePalms #TrueCrimeHawaii #LGBTQJustice

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