Latest news with #HerbBaumeister
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Indiana coroner says police 'dropped the ball' in Fox Hollow Farm serial killer case
A coroner in Indiana investigating the Fox Hollow Farm serial killer said law enforcement "dropped the ball" when the case was first investigated in the 1990s. Hamilton County Coroner Jeff Jellison announced in April that his office had identified human remains at Fox Hollow Farm in Westfield, Indiana, that belonged to Daniel Thomas Halloran. He was the tenth victim of suspected serial killer Herb Baumeister, whom law enforcement has tied to at least 25 victims. Jellison told Fox News Digital in an interview that he thinks law enforcement didn't handle the case as they should have when they were first investigating it. "I think originally in the investigation, law enforcement did a good job of excavating the remains, but I think as time went on in the investigation, our county really dropped the ball," Jellison said. Fox Hollow Farm Serial Killer's 10Th Victim Identified: Coroner Jellison said local law enforcement in the late 1990s made victims' families pay for DNA testing, and he believes they didn't pursue the possibility of additional victims or suspects aggressively. Read On The Fox News App "They made the decision not to fund DNA testing to identify potential victims in what might be one of the most prolific serial murders in our country. They put the burden of that DNA testing on the families, the cost of that on the family. And I think there was, from a criminal side, the potential for an additional suspect or suspects exists. And I don't know that law enforcement pursued that as aggressively as they could have," he said. GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE True Crime Hub Detectives believe Baumeister lured gay men into his home during the 1980s and 1990s, and allegedly killed them. He would then bury their bodies across his 18-acre property, which is known as Fox Hollow Farm, according to detectives. When his family was out of town, Baumeister, who owned the Sav-A-Lot shopping chain, would go to gay bars across the Indianapolis area and allegedly find men to bring home. Investigators first considered Baumeister a suspect in summer 1995, according to Fox 59. But detectives were unable to access his property until 1996, when around 10,000 bones and bone fragments were found. Fox Hollow Serial Killer's Secret Tapes Could Reveal Murder Horrors If Ever Found: Documentary Baumeister killed himself in 1996 at a Canadian park shortly after bone fragments were found on his property by his 15-year-old son, prompting authorities to launch an investigation. In April 1998, Hamilton County Sheriff James Bradbury said the case was considered closed. Sign Up To Get The True Crime Newsletter ''If somebody has any information, we don't care who it is, we'd be happy to look at it,'' Bradbury said. ''But Herb Baumeister is the only suspect we have in any of them.'' Families of people allegedly killed by Baumeister spent decades waiting for closure, which Jellison wants to change. He first began an investigation into identifying DNA from the 10,000 bone fragments in 2022. Follow The Fox True Crime Team On X Jellison said he "cannot imagine" that law enforcement would push the financial burden of a DNA test onto a victim's family in today's world. "These remains represent victims in a homicide, in a murder. So, to say to the families that if you want to know if your loved one was a victim of a murder, I mean, that's a tragedy in and of its own," Jellison said. "I think we're better today. We're more sensitive today to victims and family members of victims of crimes." The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office declined to comment. The Associated Press contributed to this article source: Indiana coroner says police 'dropped the ball' in Fox Hollow Farm serial killer case
Fox News
4 days ago
- General
- Fox News
Indiana coroner says police 'dropped the ball' in Fox Hollow Farm serial killer case
A coroner in Indiana investigating the Fox Hollow Farm serial killer said law enforcement "dropped the ball" when the case was first investigated in the 1990s. Hamilton County Coroner Jeff Jellison announced in April that his office had identified human remains at Fox Hollow Farm in Westfield, Indiana, that belonged to Daniel Thomas Halloran. He was the tenth victim of suspected serial killer Herb Baumeister, whom law enforcement has tied to at least 25 victims. Jellison told Fox News Digital in an interview that he thinks law enforcement didn't handle the case as they should have when they were first investigating it. "I think originally in the investigation, law enforcement did a good job of excavating the remains, but I think as time went on in the investigation, our county really dropped the ball," Jellison said. Jellison said local law enforcement in the late 1990s made victims' families pay for DNA testing, and he believes they didn't pursue the possibility of additional victims or suspects aggressively. "They made the decision not to fund DNA testing to identify potential victims in what might be one of the most prolific serial murders in our country. They put the burden of that DNA testing on the families, the cost of that on the family. And I think there was, from a criminal side, the potential for an additional suspect or suspects exists. And I don't know that law enforcement pursued that as aggressively as they could have," he said. GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE TRUE CRIME HUB Detectives believe Baumeister lured gay men into his home during the 1980s and 1990s, and allegedly killed them. He would then bury their bodies across his 18-acre property, which is known as Fox Hollow Farm, according to detectives. When his family was out of town, Baumeister, who owned the Sav-A-Lot shopping chain, would go to gay bars across the Indianapolis area and allegedly find men to bring home. Investigators first considered Baumeister a suspect in summer 1995, according to FOX 59. But detectives were unable to access his property until 1996, when around 10,000 bones and bone fragments were found. Baumeister killed himself in 1996 at a Canadian park shortly after bone fragments were found on his property by his 15-year-old son, prompting authorities to launch an investigation. In April 1998, Hamilton County Sheriff James Bradbury said the case was considered closed. ''If somebody has any information, we don't care who it is, we'd be happy to look at it,'' Bradbury said. ''But Herb Baumeister is the only suspect we have in any of them.'' Families of people allegedly killed by Baumeister spent decades waiting for closure, which Jellison wants to change. He first began an investigation into identifying DNA from the 10,000 bone fragments in 2022. Jellison said he "cannot imagine" that law enforcement would push the financial burden of a DNA test onto a victim's family in today's world. "These remains represent victims in a homicide, in a murder. So, to say to the families that if you want to know if your loved one was a victim of a murder, I mean, that's a tragedy in and of its own," Jellison said. "I think we're better today. We're more sensitive today to victims and family members of victims of crimes." The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office declined to comment.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
Indiana coroner reveals 'several tragedies' remain in Fox Hollow Farm serial killer case
The Indiana coroner working to identify victims from Fox Hollow Farm says "several tragedies" still remain. In late April, Hamilton County Coroner Jeff Jellison announced his office had identified the remains of Daniel Thomas Halloran at Fox Hollow Farm in Westfield, Indiana. He's the 10th victim of suspected serial killer Herb Baumeister, but investigators have linked Baumeister to at least 25 victims. A spokesperson for the coroner's office previously told Fox News Digital it still has three DNA profiles that haven't been identified. Jellison said his office is working through 10,000 bone fragments and doesn't know how many victims might be identified but told Fox News Digital in an interview there are "several tragedies." Fox Hollow Farm Serial Killer's 10Th Victim Identified: Coroner "We have 10,000 bone and bone fragments, so how many victims, you know, that will be is undetermined," Jellison said. "I heard someone say recently that one death is a tragedy, two or more deaths is a statistic. And I think we have several tragedies because you have to treat each one of these individuals separately. Read On The Fox News App "So, we look at it really, you know, it's not how many potential victims do we have, but let's just continue working hard to identify. And then, at the end, we'll tally that up." Sign Up To Get The True Crime Newsletter Jellison said in an interview he plans on continuing to identify more victims until he's no longer in office. "This investigation will far exceed my time in this office," Jellison said. Follow The Fox True Crime Team On X Law enforcement believes Baumeister lured gay men to his home during the 1980s and 1990s, where he would kill them and bury their bodies on his 18-acre property, known as Fox Hollow Farm. Fox Hollow Serial Killer's Secret Tapes Could Reveal Murder Horrors If Ever Found: Documentary He often went to gay bars in the Indianapolis area when his family was out of town and, according to detectives, he would find men to bring home. Baumeister owned the Sav-A-Lot thrift store chain. Baumeister killed himself in 1996 at a Canadian park shortly after bone fragments were found on his property, prompting authorities to launch an investigation. GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE True Crime Hub A recent ABC News documentary, "The Fox Hollow Murders: Playground of a Serial Killer," revealed investigators believe Baumeister recorded his victims using a hidden camera inside his basement's 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."Original article source: Indiana coroner reveals 'several tragedies' remain in Fox Hollow Farm serial killer case
Fox News
24-05-2025
- Fox News
Indiana coroner reveals 'several tragedies' remain in Fox Hollow Farm serial killer case
The Indiana coroner working to identify victims from Fox Hollow Farm says "several tragedies" still remain. In late April, Hamilton County Coroner Jeff Jellison announced his office had identified the remains of Daniel Thomas Halloran at Fox Hollow Farm in Westfield, Indiana. He's the 10th victim of suspected serial killer Herb Baumeister, but investigators have linked Baumeister to at least 25 victims. A spokesperson for the coroner's office previously told Fox News Digital it still has three DNA profiles that haven't been identified. Jellison said his office is working through 10,000 bone fragments and doesn't know how many victims might be identified but told Fox News Digital in an interview there are "several tragedies." "We have 10,000 bone and bone fragments, so how many victims, you know, that will be is undetermined," Jellison said. "I heard someone say recently that one death is a tragedy, two or more deaths is a statistic. And I think we have several tragedies because you have to treat each one of these individuals separately. "So, we look at it really, you know, it's not how many potential victims do we have, but let's just continue working hard to identify. And then, at the end, we'll tally that up." Jellison said in an interview he plans on continuing to identify more victims until he's no longer in office. "This investigation will far exceed my time in this office," Jellison said. Law enforcement believes Baumeister lured gay men to his home during the 1980s and 1990s, where he would kill them and bury their bodies on his 18-acre property, known as Fox Hollow Farm. He often went to gay bars in the Indianapolis area when his family was out of town and, according to detectives, he would find men to bring home. Baumeister owned the Sav-A-Lot thrift store chain. Baumeister killed himself in 1996 at a Canadian park shortly after bone fragments were found on his property, prompting authorities to launch an investigation. GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE TRUE CRIME HUB A recent ABC News documentary, "The Fox Hollow Murders: Playground of a Serial Killer," revealed investigators believe Baumeister recorded his victims using a hidden camera inside his basement's 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."
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.
