Who Is Herb Baumeister and What Crimes Did He Commit?
Disclaimer: The article contains mentions of murder. Reader discretion is advised.
Between the 1980s and 1990s, a serial killer named Herb Baumeister killed at least 25 people at his Indianapolis residence. Reports indicate that the serial killer picked up young men and killed them after his family left for summer vacations. For almost a decade, authorities failed to capture the murderer that terrorized a nation.
Baumeister used to pick up young men from gay bars and take them to his house. As per WRTV News, an affiliate of ABC News, investigators believed that he would take his victims to his estate, Fox Hollow Farm, and strangle them to death. Afterward, he would bury their bodies on his property. On the other hand, The Sun noted that Herb Baumeister used the pseudonym Brian Smart while committing the murders. Authorities got to know about Baumeister’s crimes when one of his victims escaped and contacted the police.
The outlet also reported the victim claimed that Herb Baumeister killed his friend and attempted to kill him as well. A few days later, the victim saw Baumeister again and followed him. He noted the culprit’s car number and gave it to the police, who eventually identified the man as Herb Baumeister. In 1996, authorities got to know about Baumeister’s crimes when his 15-year-old son discovered the 10,000 charred bones and fragments on the family’s 18-acre property.
At the time, media reported that the remains were from his father’s medical practice. After the town’s firefighters discovered more remains three days later, authorities issued an arrest warrant. However, the killer had already moved to Ontario, Canada.
Is serial killer Herb Baumeister still alive?
As per the WRTV News, Herb Baumeister shot himself and died before he could stand trial for his crimes. He also left a three-page suicide note in which he blamed his death on his crumbling business and a failed marriage. Baumeister also apologized for ruining the scenery of the Canadian park where he shot himself. The outlet noted that he didn’t mention anything about the slayings and the bones that were discovered on his property.
Two years after Herb Baumeister shot himself, authorities believed that the serial killer murdered nine other young men. As per The Indianapolis Star, police discovered their partially naked bodies in I-70 across Central Indiana and western Ohio during the 1980s.
Even more than two decades after his death, authorities are making startling discoveries about Herb Baumeister’s alleged crimes. In October 2023, they identified a victim with the help of DNA technology. According to The Indianapolis Star, the family members of the victim submitted a DNA sample to the authorities because they suspected that their relative could be a victim.
Authorities discovered the victim’s identity
Citing Hamilton County’s coroner, WTHR News noted, “We identified a man that was reported missing 30 years ago whose remains were part of 10,000 remains that were burnt and crushed, and we identified that person. Honestly, yeah, there were some high fives, but it very quickly turned to the stark reality, we had another murder victim, and then, there were some tears.”
Meanwhile, the victim’s relative felt relieved that the family finally got some closure. The victim’s cousin told WTHR News, “I’m happy and sad at the same time.” In January 2024, authorities found out about another man who was a victim of Herb Baumeister.
In 2011, a documentary titled The Haunting of Fox Hollow Farm was based on Herb Baumeister and his crimes.
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