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Indianapolis Star
07-07-2025
- Indianapolis Star
Indianapolis is working on a strategy to stop youth gun violence
The community is right to call for action following a tragic wave of shootings involving minors in downtown Indianapolis. Two teenagers were killed and five adults were shot in a mass shooting last week. This kind of violence has yet to be specifically targeted by prevention efforts. Indianapolis, however, has achieved three and a half consecutive years of gun violence reduction, thanks in part to the city's Gun Violence Reduction Strategy, which began in Jan. 2022. My organization provides technical assistance and training to the city on the strategy. According to data from the Indianapolis Police Department, from Jan. 1, 2022, until June 30, 2025, the number of murders declined 55% and the number of non-fatal, injury shootings dropped by 44%. Just this year, halfway through 2025, there has been a 30% year-to-date reduction in murders and a 20% decrease in non-fatal, injury shootings. The strategy works by focusing interventions on the small number of individuals who are driving gun violence in the city, primarily 18 to 35 year old males with significant criminal justice involvement, sometimes involved in groups or gangs and often a part of a retaliatory cycle of violence. This year, less than 10% of murders and less than 15% of non-fatal shootings involved juveniles. The strategy also involves community violence intervention from the Indy Peace initiative. Trained outreach workers, violence interrupters, and life coaches reach out to, engage, and intensively support those individuals identified as being at very high risk of being involved in violence. Numerous community-based organizations funded by the Elevation Grant program also provide wraparound services. Additionally, the IMPD also focuses enforcement on those who are driving most gun violence. As a result, the initiative has been very effective. To effectively solve the problem of youth violence, however, we need a strategy focused on minors. Several organizations have partnered to develop such an initiative, including the Marion County Probation Department and the youth focused groups VOICES and New BOY. The initiative should be launched this month. While it is important to celebrate the steep declines in gun violence overall in Indianapolis, it is time to implement a new strategy to reduce youth gun violence.
International Business Times
22-05-2025
- International Business Times
Indiana Man Tried to Poison Wife, Then Solicited Help From Co-workers to Help Kill Her
An Indiana man has been charged with conspiracy to commit murder after two of his co-workers told police he allegedly tried to solicit their help in a plot to kill his wife. According to court documents, 44-year-old Darshan Soni was accused of attempting to solicit one of his co-workers at Compass Property Group to murder his wife. Coworker Reported Soni After He Asked Them Where He Could Buy a Silencer for a Gun, Asked Another if He Would Help Him Kill His Wife An anonymous tipster, another coworker of Soni's, reported Soni to the Indianapolis Police Department after he asked them where he could purchase a silencer for a gun. The police said that Soni may have also allegedly attempted to kill his wife himself before turning to his co-workers. The tipster spoke with their fellow Compass employee, who reportedly said that Soni allegedly asked if he would be willing to murder his wife and what kind of price he would accept for such a task. The same employee also reportedly told Soni that he could help him create an "alibi" by holding on to his phone, making it appear that Soni was in a different location than where he intended to commit his alleged crime. According to the court documents, that employee also reportedly looked into getting cash to purchase a Ford Escape, which Soni allegedly intended to use to transport the employee who would kill Soni's wife. Soni allegedly gave the employee $2,000 in April to put toward the car. Soni Allegedly Tried to Kill His Wife by Poisoning Her Smoothies Before Asking Coworkers for Help Soni's alleged plot was apparently in the works for months, possibly as long as a year. The employee, who co-operated with the police in exchange for immunity, told authorities that Soni had allegedly spoken with him about different kinds of poisons and criminal activities, indicating that he tried to kill his wife himself before turning to his coworkers for help. According to the documents, Soni's wife told police that in November 2024, she experienced "quite serious" nerve pain and sciatica, and was found to have thyroid issues earlier this year. When police told Soni's wife that it was possible that she had been poisoned, she revealed that a smoothie she'd had months before had an uncharacteristic "salty" taste to it. She also told them about finding a "white clumpy substance" at the bottom of one smoothie cup. When she confronted her husband about it possibly being contaminated, he reportedly disregarded her concerns and told her the substance was dishwasher detergent. Soni Admitted Told the Employee He Had Purchased 'Poison' from India, He Also Picked Up a Wig from the Employee's Home to Disguise Himself During an interview with the employee on May 14, he told police that Soni had allegedly admitted to buying "some type of poison" from India that he intended to give to his wife. The employee was also shown a photo of a wig that police believed Soni had bought. The original tipster had told police that they observed Soni retrieving the wig from the employee's home. According to the documents, the alleged plot to murder Soni's wife was to unfold on May 16 at the couple's home. Soni reportedly met with the employee he had been discussing the alleged plot with at their workplace on May 15, when they reportedly had a tense conversation about the alleged plot. Soni allegedly signaled that he wanted to back out of the alleged plot, and that he was grateful to his coworker for talking him out of it. He was arrested on May 16 and charged with conspiracy to commit murder. His initial court appearance was scheduled for Thursday.
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.
