Authorities believe Herb Baumeister — who they say led a double life — picked up men at gay bars while his family was on vacation, then killed them at his home
INDIANAPOLIS POLICE DEPARTMENT
Jeffrey A. Jones, left, and Herb Baumeister
In 1996, more than 10,000 bone fragments were discovered at the Indiana estate of suspected serial killer Herb Baumiester, and his victims are still being identified.
Authorities believe Baumeister — who they say led a double life as a seemingly upstanding family man — picked up men at gay bars while his wife and children were on vacation. He then took them back to his home in Westfield, Ind. – known as Fox Hollow Farm – and murdered them and buried their remains on the 40-acre property. Authorities believe he could be responsible for more than 25 murders, but have only officially linked him to 12.
Less than two weeks after the remains were discovered in 1996, Baumeister died by suicide. The New York Times reported in 1996. He was never charged in connection with the murders and never admitted to any of them. At the time the murders occurred, he was married and had three children.
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In late 2022, Hamilton County Coroner Jeff Jellison sparked renewed interest in the case when he asked relatives of men who went missing in the Indianapolis area in the 1980s and 1990s to send DNA samples to the coroner’s office to to determine if she is a possible victim of Baumeister, USA Today reported.
This week, on May 22, the Hamilton County Coroner’s Office in Indiana announced that another victim had been identified as Jeffrey A. Jones, who was reported missing in August 1993. His remains were identified through “extensive forensic genetic genealogical research.” office said.
Earlier this year, on January 25, the coroner’s office also announced the identification of Manuel Resendez, whose remains were found in 1996. Additionally, Allen Livingston was identified as another of Baumeister’s victims 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 statement.
Related: Indiana Father Had 10,000 Fragments of Human Remains on His Property. Police are still trying to identify victims
“Because many of the remains were found burned and crushed, this investigation is extremely challenging; However, the team of law enforcement and forensic specialists working on the case remains committed,” Jellison said in the statement.
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