Latest news with #Baumeister
Daily Mirror
21-05-2025
- Daily Mirror
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.
Irish Daily Mirror
21-05-2025
- Irish Daily Mirror
'Worse than Jeffrey Dahmer' - Serial killer who scattered 10,000 bones around
Labelled "worse than Jeffrey Dahmer" by some, one twisted serial killer's grisly legacy involves him leaving a macabre collection of 10,000 human bones around his home after strangling men during sex acts. That grim tally represents the highest count of unidentified remains in a criminal case, surpassed only by those found after the devastating 9/11 attacks. Herb Baumeister, a married dad of three, is suspected of having claimed the lives of up to 25 young men during a frightening murder spree throughout the early 90s. Prowling gay bars in the heart of Indianapolis, he would entice his prey back to his sprawling 18-acre estate known as Fox Hollow Farm in Westfield, Indiana. Not even apprehended yet, Baumeister's son shockingly stumbled upon a human skull in the woodland flanking their house. At this ill-fated property, he'd engage in strangleholds under the guise of sexual thrills before ultimately murdering the men, later incinerating their bodies and carelessly tossing the charred skeletal fragments across his grounds whenever his wife and kids were absents. The crime scene's horrid bone count eventually reached an appalling 10,000. As the police zeroed in on his atrocious actions, Baumeister made a dash for Canada, taking his own life and leaving a trail of unresolved mysteries, including whether he acted alone or had an accomplice, reports the Mirror US. The four-part series, The Fox Hollow Murders, produced by ABC News Studios, has left true crime buffs absolutely gobsmacked. One gobsmacked viewer on X exclaimed, "'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," posted another viewer, clearly shocked. One person said: "Okay the Fox Hollow Murders may be the craziest doc I've seen in a while and I'm still on episode one," while someone else remarked: "The Fox Hollow Murders is a WILD story. One of the craziest serial killers you've never heard of." A bone-chilling detail from the series is that Baumeister's Fox Hollow Farm was brimming with mannequins. "Mannequins forever ominous after watching The Fox Hollow Murders doc," mentioned a viewer, evidently creeped out. Another said: "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 of Baumeister's murders lingers as the sole survivor, Mark Goodyear, has repeatedly altered his account of the events. He once admitted to fibbing about his relationship with the serial killer but has refuted any complicity in the killings. Baumeister's heinous acts came to light when Goodyear stepped forward alleging he escaped an assault by a man he encountered in a pub in August 1994, who whisked him away to a vast farm in the suburbs and tried to throttle him. The man at the centre of this sordid mystery was later confirmed to be Herb Baumeister. The cops have always harboured suspicions that Baumeister, a dad of three, might have covertly recorded his victims using a secret camera stashed in an air vent in his basement either before, during, or after the killings. After fleeing to Canada, it's thought Baumeister took this key footage with him. His missus reported his hefty trove of tapes vanished from their pad, and the Canadian coppers spotted a box full of tapes in his motor just before he topped himself. What happened to these so-called "snuff films" is still up in the air, including what dark secrets they might spill about Baumeister's murder spree. There's a question mark hanging over whether he dumped the tapes while bolting to Canada or if some dodgy accomplice helped stash them away before he slung his hook. Years on, and more victims of Baumeister are being pulled out of obscurity. This past May, a bloke by the name of Daniel Thomas Halloran was pegged as the 10th known casualty of the killer who's now gaining infamy as one of the Yanks' most evil murderers. Hamilton County's own coroner, Jeff Jellison, who's taken the charge in trying to ID all the Fox Hollow Farm victims, has declared that they've managed to put a name to Halloran using some clever investigative genetic genealogy work. Halloran clocks in as the second victim sussed out since Jellison's fresh probe kicked off in 2022 to pin names to all the bodies and unveil every one of Baumeister's unlucky targets.
Daily Record
21-05-2025
- Daily Record
Serial killer dad buried 10,000 bones in garden after sex game murders
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. Article continues below 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. Article continues below 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.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Yahoo
Fox Hollow Farm serial killer's 10th victim identified: coroner
A 10th victim has been recovered from Fox Hollow Farm, where suspected serial killer Herb Baumeister lived in Indiana. The Hamilton County Coroner's Office said in a news release that the body found at Fox Hallow Farm in Westfield, Indiana, belongs to Daniel Thomas Halloran. According to Fox 59, Halloran was born in 1972, but officials aren't sure when he died. Halloran is the 10th identified victim from Fox Hollow Farm, but investigators have tied Baumeister to at least 25 victims overall. A spokesperson for the Hamilton County Coroner's Office told Fox News Digital it still has three DNA profiles that haven't yet been identified. Fox Hollow Serial Killer's Secret Tapes Could Reveal Murder Horrors If Ever Found: Documentary Halloran's daughter, 32-year-old Coral Halloran, told WTHR that she didn't know how to respond upon hearing that her father was an alleged victim of Baumeister. She said her father went missing in 1993, just one year after she was born. "I feel kind of like I'm mourning," Coral said. "All my life, I kind of expected my dad to be around and one day hoping he'd come try to find me. Read On The Fox News App "It makes me sick and weary to my stomach, having to know my dad was brutally murdered. It's hard. And for all the other victims out there, their families, I'm with them. I'm praying hard for them." Police believe Baumeister lured gay men to his home between the 1980s and 1990s, where he would allegedly kill them and bury their bodies across his 18-acre property. Around 10,000 bone fragments and charred bones were found on the property. Detectives believe Baumeister often went to gay bars in the Indianapolis area. During periods when his family was out of town, Baumeister lured men into his home where it's believed he killed them. Baumeister owned the Sav-A-Lot shopping chain. SIGN UP TO GET True Crime Newsletter In 1996, Baumeister killed himself in a Canadian park shortly after bone fragments were discovered on his property, prompting an investigation to be opened. "This identification is a significant development in our ongoing efforts to provide answers to the families of those who went missing," Jeff Jellison, Hamilton County coroner, said after Halloran's remains were identified. "We are grateful for the expertise of Othram and the advances in forensic science that made this possible." New England Serial Killer Fears Merit 'Review And Investigation' After Remains Found Across 3 States: Expert According to a recent documentary from ABC News Studios titled "The Fox Hollow Murders: Playground of a Serial Killer," investigators believe Baumeister filmed his victims using a hidden camera placed in a basement air vent. "Something to relive… the murders," said retired Hamilton County Sheriff's Office Det. Cary Milligan. "We're looking through the bottom of the entertainment area… and we noticed this vent. … I was suspicious that if Herb was videotaping any activity that might have been going on. … That may have been a way that Herb could've gained power over the individuals that he was killing." GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE True Crime Hub "It's not uncommon for serial killers to keep mementos or trinkets from victims," Milligan added. Jellison previously told Fox News Digital it's unlikely the video recordings will be recovered. The coroner's office said forensic laboratory Othram Inc. played a critical role in identifying Halloran through DNA analysis. The Indiana State Police, University of Indianapolis, Human Identification Center and Marion County Coroner's Office also assisted in identifying the remains. Follow The Fox True Crime Team On X Fox News Digital's Stephanie Nolasco and Audrey Conklin contributed to this article source: Fox Hollow Farm serial killer's 10th victim identified: coroner
Newsweek
30-04-2025
- Newsweek
Fox Hollow Murder Case Gets Update After Hulu Documentary Release
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Herb Baumeister, a businessman and father of three, is believed to have killed at least 25 men—primarily gay men in their twenties and thirties—between the mid-1980s and 1996. His estate in Westfield, Indiana, became the focal point of a major investigation after thousands of bone fragments were discovered on the property. He died by suicide in 1996 before he could be arrested or tried. The renewed investigation and victim identification effort has been led by Hamilton County Coroner Jeff Jellison, who reopened the case in 2022, according to Indianapolis Monthly. What to Know About the Fox Hollow Farm Murders The Fox Hollow Farm murders refer to the series of killings attributed to Herb Baumeister, whose property became the burial ground for an unknown number of victims. Investigators believe he targeted gay men from Indianapolis' downtown bar scene and brought them back to his home, where he murdered them. The exact number of victims remains unknown, but officials estimate it may exceed 25. Initial suspicions in the early 1990s were largely confined to Indianapolis' LGBTQ+ community, which tracked a disturbing pattern of disappearances. Police interest intensified after Baumeister's 13-year-old son found a human skull on the property in 1994, reported the Indianapolis Monthly. Despite that, a full investigation didn't unfold until 1996, when Baumeister's wife allowed authorities to search the estate. The same day, they discovered human remains in the woods behind the house. Baumeister killed himself in Canada days later. Though some remains were identified using dental records, thousands of bone fragments were left unexamined until 2022, when Jellison reopened the case. What Is the Update in the Fox Hollow Murder Case? On April 29, Daniel Thomas Halloran was officially identified as the tenth victim of Baumeister through genetic genealogy testing and a DNA match sourced from his late mother's autopsy file. He was one of the men killed and buried at Baumeister's Indiana estate, known as Fox Hollow Farm, according to WRTV. "This identification is a significant development in our ongoing efforts to provide answers to the families of those who went missing," Jellison said in a statement obtained by WRTV. "We are grateful for the expertise of Othram and the advances in forensic science that made this possible." His identification was not straightforward. A genealogy report by Othram Inc. in Texas suggested Halloran was likely the victim, but he had no living immediate relatives—his mother, father and brother were dead. The Indianapolis Star reported that Halloran's mother had died from a drug overdose and that the Marion County Coroner's office had a swab of her DNA. Jellison later located Halloran's daughter to inform her of the identification. She was about 2 years old at the time he was killed, the Indianapolis Star reported. Halloran is the second victim to be identified since Jellison reopened the case in 2022. The coroner's office has also identified 27-year-old Allen Livingston, who disappeared in August 1993 and confirmed the identities of two previously named victims from the 1990s—31-year-old Jeffrey A. Jones and 34-year-old Manuel Resendez—through updated DNA analysis, according to the Indianapolis Star. Three additional unidentified remains are now undergoing similar analysis. What to Know About Herb Baumeister Baumeister was a business owner and lived with his family in a mansion on an 18-acre property called Fox Hollow Farm, according to Indianapolis Monthly. Between the 1980s and 1990s, he is suspected of luring men from Indianapolis gay bars like The Metro, Varsity Lounge, and 501 Tavern. When police were finally able to search his property in 1996, they found more than 10,000 bone fragments scattered in the woods. When Baumeister fled to Canada, he wrote a lengthy, three-page suicide note in which he expressed remorse over his failing marriage and warned that he would be leaving a mess behind at the park where he planned to take his life. The note made no reference to the murders or the allegations against him, reported Indianapolis Monthly. The original case was poorly publicized. "It never made the TV news ever," said Ted Fleischaker, publisher of The Word, to Indianapolis Monthly. Hamilton County Coroner Jellison has publicly criticized the 1990s-era investigation, saying the victims were largely ignored because they were gay men. Authorities have confirmed these ten men as victims of Herb Baumeister, each of whom disappeared from Indianapolis in the early to mid-1990s, according to the Indianapolis Star: Roger Alan Goodlet, age 33. Michael Frederick Keirn, age 50. Steven Spurlin Hale, age 28. Manuel M. Resendez, age 31. Jeffrey Allan Jones, age 37. Richard Douglas Hamilton Jr., age 23 Johnny Bayer, age 26 Allen Wayne Broussard, age 32. Allen Livingston, age 27. Daniel Thomas Halloran, 30 years old How to Stream the Fox Hollow Murder Docuseries Hulu's The Fox Hollow Murders: A Serial Killer's Playground is available for streaming exclusively on the Hulu platform. The documentary, produced by ABC News Studios, presents archival footage, interviews with family members, and commentary from investigators and local journalists. The series premiered in February and is accessible with a standard Hulu subscription. New viewers can sign up for a free trial to stream the full docuseries. What People Are Saying Coroner Jeff Jellison told Indianapolis Monthly in February: "It's my opinion that the attitude of those involved in the investigation in the '90s was, 'This is eight gay men from Indianapolis. What do we care?'" Dr. Krista Latham, director of the University of Indianapolis Human Identification Center, told the same outlet: "They were mistreated in life. My obligation to them is to make sure that they get that name, that they get the respect, that they get what they deserve to have been given in life in death." Robert Graves, the farm's current owner, told WTHR point to the home's pool: "This probably is the largest serial murder case in the United States, certainly. This is where he would have killed them. It's pretty much the way it was. That wall was red – not blue – but otherwise, it's the same. So the pool was the lure. That's what he used to get the guys to come up." How Many Episodes Is Hulu's Fox Hollow Murder Docuseries? The Hulu docuseries consists of four episodes, each running between 40 and 60 minutes. The series explores Baumeister's life, the victims' stories, and the investigation's reopening. Each episode traces different aspects of the case, from Baumeister's public image as a family man to the forensic efforts that continue decades after his death. The final episode focuses on the new technologies and personal stories propelling the case forward. What's Next Jellison says three additional samples have already been sent for testing, and more identifications are expected. The renewed investigation continues to receive cooperation from the FBI, Indiana State Police, and the University of Indianapolis. "This is the second largest investigation of unidentified human remains in this country, second only to the World Trade Center," Jellison told Indianapolis Monthly. Authorities continue to ask families with missing relatives from the 1980s and 1990s—especially those believed to be part of Indianapolis' LGBTQ+ community—to submit DNA for comparison. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Hamilton County Coroner's Office at 317-770-4415.
