Serial killer dad buried 10,000 bones in garden after sex game murders
The Fox Hollow Farm murders saw father-of-three Herb Baumeister strangle at least 25 men to death during sex before burning their remains and scattering their bones around his family home
Cops uncovered some 10,000 pieces of human remains at Herb Baumeister's home
(Image: Indianapolis Police Department )
Dubbed "worse than Jeffrey Dahmer" by some, one serial killer's gruesome acts involved scattering 10,000 bones around his family home after strangling men to death during sexual encounters. This grim discovery represents the largest collection of unidentified human remains found in a single location in the US, surpassed only by the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Herb Baumeister, a seemingly ordinary married father of three, is suspected of having claimed the lives of approximately 25 young men throughout his reign of terror in the early 1990s. He would frequent gay bars in downtown Indianapolis, where he preyed on victims, enticing them back to his expansive 18-acre estate known as Fox Hollow Farm in Westfield, Indiana.
Before Baumeister could be caught, his own son stumbled upon a human skull in the woods behind their residence.
At this secluded property, Baumeister would partake in erotic asphyxiation with his victims before killing them. He would then dispose of their bodies by burning them and scattering their remains across his estate while his unsuspecting wife and children were absent.
In a horrifying tally, investigators discovered around 10,000 human bones on the grounds, reports the Mirror US.
As police closed in on uncovering the full extent of his appalling crimes, Baumeister escaped to Canada where he took his own life, leaving a trail of unanswered questions, including the possibility of an accomplice in his macabre murder spree.
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The faces of some of the victims
(Image: Indiana State Police )
The four-part series, The Fox Hollow Murders, produced by ABC News Studios, has left true crime buffs gobsmacked. One viewer on X said: "The Fox Hollow Murders should've knocked Bundy, Dahmer, and Gacy off the front pages. This is crazy!".
"Did y'all see the documentary about the Fox Hollow murders? ? ? Over 10,000 bones found in the backyard," another viewer posted.
Another viewer added: "Okay the Fox Hollow Murders may be the craziest doc I've seen in a while and I'm still on episode one," whilst another added: "The Fox Hollow Murders is a WILD story. One of the craziest serial killers you've never heard of."
A chilling detail from the series revealed Baumeister's Fox Hollow Farm was filled with mannequins. "Mannequins forever ominous after watching The Fox Hollow Murders doc," one viewer said.
Another added: "I have watched many true crime documentaries, including serial killer series. I have never heard of these murders. This docuseries was one of the most chilling I've seen."
The mystery surrounding Baumeister's murders remains as the only surviving victim, Mark Goodyear, has changed his version of events multiple times. He previously confessed to lying about his relationship with the serial killer but denied any involvement in the murders.
Remains were found on Baumeister's Fox Hollow Farm estate in Indiana
(Image: WTHR )
Baumeister's crimes were exposed when Goodyear came forward claiming he survived an attack by a man he met in a bar in August 1994, who took him to a large farm in the suburbs and attempted to strangle him.
The man unmasked as the murderer was Herb Baumeister, a family man with three children who is thought to have covertly recorded his victims possibly before, during, or after killing them, using a concealed camera in an air vent in his basement.
Such damning footage is suspected to have been removed by Baumeister when he absconded to Canada. After his disappearing act, his wife found their vast tape collection gone from their dwelling, and prior to his death, Canadian law enforcement officers spied a box of tapes in his motor before his demise.
The whereabouts of these alleged "snuff films" continue to elude discovery, along with what secrets they may divulge regarding Baumeister's murder rampage. It's still unknown whether the tapes were discarded in Canada or if Baumeister had assistance in secreting them prior to his self-inflicted end.
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Years after his heinous acts, more of Baumeister's victims are coming to light. In May, Daniel Thomas Halloran was confirmed as the 10th victim of the predator now ranked among the most infamous serial killers of the USA.
Leading the charge in bringing names to all Fox Hollow Farm casualties, Hamilton County Coroner Jeff Jellison made public that Halloran was identified through investigative genetic genealogy, marking the second identification following Jellison's renewed probing started in 2022 to allocate names to all discovered remains and tally up Baumeister's victims.
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