Serial killer 'worse than Jeffrey Dahmer' scattered 10,000 bones in garden
Herb Baumeister is believed to have murdered approximately 25 young men during his killing spree in the early 1990s - he would hunt his victims in gay bars in downtown Indianapolis
The macabre killings of a man branded "worse than Jeffrey Dahmer" saw a father-of-three dispersing 10,000 human bones across his family estate after throttling his victims to death during sex. This horrific case constitutes the largest collection of unidentified human remains ever found in the United States, surpassed only by those recovered following the atrocities of September 11.
Herb Baumeister, a seemingly conventional married dad, is suspected of savagely killing around 25 young men during his reign of terror in the early '90s. He frequented gay pubs in the centre of Indianapolis, ensnaring unsuspecting men with the allure of a visit back to his sprawling 18-acre home, Fox Hollow Farm in Westfield, Indiana.
Chillingly, before Baumeister was even caught, his son stumbled upon a human skull among the trees at the rear of their property.
It was within these sinister grounds that he would indulge in deadly sexual asphyxiation acts on his victims, subsequently incinerating their bodies and littering remains throughout the grounds while his family was absent. In total, a spine-chilling tally of 10,000 human bones were recovered from the premises.
As the authorities began peeling back the layers of his dark deeds, Baumeister fled to Canada where he took his own life, leaving a tangled web of lingering queries, notably the possibility of him having had an accomplice in his gruesome activities, reports the Mirror US.
The gripping four-part documentary, The Fox Hollow Murders by ABC News Studios, has left true crime buffs utterly dumbfounded. A viewer said on X, "'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," said another captivated audience member.
One observer added: "Okay the Fox Hollow Murders may be the craziest doc I've seen in a while and I'm still on episode one," while another was shocked by the story's obscurity: "The Fox Hollow Murders is a WILD story. One of the craziest serial killers you've never heard of."
A terrifying revelation from the series highlighted Baumeister's Fox Hollow Farm and its eerie collection of mannequins. One viewer said: "Mannequins forever ominous after watching The Fox Hollow Murders doc," Others were stirred by the chilling effect: "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 enigma deepens around the Baumeister slayings, with Mark Goodyear, the sole survivor, frequently altering his testimony. He confessed to fabricating details about his connection with the murderer but denied having any role in the crimes.
Baumeister's appalling deeds came to light when Goodyear recounted escaping an assault by a man he encountered in a bar back in August 1994, who brought him to a sprawling farmstead and tried to choke him.
The individual was later confirmed to be Herb Baumeister. Detectives have long harboured suspicions that Baumeister, who was a father of three, covertly recorded his victims before, during, or after their deaths using a concealed camera placed in an air vent in his basement.
This vital piece of evidence is thought to have been taken by Baumeister when he absconded to Canada. His wife reported his comprehensive tape collection missing from their home, and Canadian authorities spotted a box of tapes in his car shortly before his demise.
The whereabouts of these alleged "snuff films" are still unknown, just like the insights they could provide into Baumeister's rampant killings. It remains a puzzle whether Baumeister disposed of the tapes while in Canada or if there was someone who assisted him in concealing them prior to his suicide.
Years on from the crimes, the work to name Baumeister's victims continues; newly recognised is Daniel Thomas Halloran as the 10th identifiable victim of the murderer now ranked among America's most infamous serial offenders.
Hamilton County Coroner Jeff Jellison, leading a redoubled initiative to pinpoint all the Fox Hollow Farm casualties, proclaimed that Halloran had been identified owing to investigative genetic genealogy. Since Jellison kick-started fresh enquiries in 2022 with the aim to name all the found remains and detail every one of Baumeister's victims, Halloran is the second individual to be named.
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