Authorities believe Herb Baumeister — who they say lived a double life — picked up men at gay bars while his family was on vacation and then murdered them in his home.
INDIANAPOLIS POLICE DEPARTMENT
Jeffrey A. Jones, left, and Herb Baumeister
More than 10,000 bone fragments discovered in suspected serial killer Herb Baumiester million-dollar estate in Indiana in 1996, and his victims are still being identified.
Authorities believe Baumeister — who they say lived a double life as a seemingly upstanding family man — met men at gay bars while his wife and children were on vacation. So, he brought them back to his home in Westfield, Indiana – known as Fox Hollow Farm – and murdered them and buried their remains on the 18-acre property. Authorities believe he may be responsible for more than 25 murdersbut only officially linked it to 12.
Less than two weeks after the discovery of the remains in 1996, Baumeister died by suicide The New York Times reported in 1996. He never faced any charges related to the murders nor admitted to any of them. At the time of the murders, he was married with three children.
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In late 2022, Hamilton County Coroner Jeff Jellison brought renewed interest to the case when he asked family members of men who went missing in the Indianapolis area in the 1980s and 1990s to submit DNA samples to the coroner’s office to determine if they were a possible victim of Baumeister, USA Today reported.
This week, on May 22nd, the Hamilton County Coroner’s Office in Indiana announced that another victim has been identified as Jeffrey A. Jones, who was reported missing in August 1993. His remains were identified through “extensive forensic genetic genealogy investigation,” the corner office said.
Earlier this year, on January 25th, coroner’s office also announced the identification of Manuel Resendez, whose remains were found in 1996. Additionally, Allen Livingston was identified as another Baumeister victim through the same process, CBS News reports.
“According to Jellison, investigators have four additional DNA profiles that have not yet been identified, bringing the total number of victims to 12,” the coroner’s office said in the May 22 release.
“As many of the remains were found burned and crushed, this investigation is extremely challenging; however, the team of forensic and law enforcement experts working on the case remains committed,” Jellison said in the statement.
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