Indiana Businessman's Farm Littered With Over 10,000 Human Remains; Police Says the Serial Killer Slaughtered 25 People

By Jace Dela Cruz

Jun 03, 2024 07:03 AM EDT

Authorities have made a disturbing discovery at the farm of Herb Baumeister, a businessman from Indiana who they linked to the murders of "at least 25" people between the late 1980s and early 1990s.

According to Fox News, the farm was discovered by authorities to be littered with over 10,000 "burnt and crushed" human skeletal remains.

Barn Farm Field

(Photo : Pexels from Pixabay)

Thousands of Human Remains Discovered at Farm of Indiana Businessman  

Four decades later, the 18-acre property, known as Fox Hollow Farm in Westfield, Indiana, continues to reveal the grim aftermath of Herb Baumeister's crimes.

Recent discoveries shed light on previously unidentified victims, who were mostly gay men. Jeffrey A. Jones was the latest victim identified by the Hamilton County Coroner's Office. He was reported missing in 1993.

After Baumeister died in 1996, the Hamilton County Coroner's Office renewed the probe into the thousands of human remains that law enforcement discovered from the businessman's property.

In a statement, county coroner Jeff Jellison said the investigation "is extremely challenging" as many of the remains found scattered across the farm were "burnt and crushed," which made many of his victims faceless for decades. 

"However, the team of law enforcement and forensic specialists working the case remain committed," Jellison noted.

Jones is reportedly Baumeister's third victim that the county coroner's office identified in the past six months. Jellison said four more DNA profiles have not been identified yet, bringing the count of confirmed victims to 12.

Various agencies, including the FBI and DNA experts, have been involved in the identification process, with the assistance of forensic genetic genealogy analysis provided by Othram Lab in partnership with the Hamilton County Coroner's Office. 

READ NEXT: Indian Businessman Jumps to His Death From the 19th Floor of a Star Hotel 

Indiana Businessman Suspected of Targeting Gay Men

Herb Baumeister was a married father with three children and a successful businessman. He is suspected of targeting primarily gay men in Westfield. In May 1988, he and his family moved to the property, where much of the evidence was uncovered.

He used the property and adjacent trail to hide the thousands of charred bone fragments, skulls, and decomposed remains that were initially discovered by his teen son, who then showed his mother or Baumeister's wife. His reign of terror ended after authorities searched the property while he was not home and found the remains of some victims. 

Baumeister fled to Ontario after a warrant came out for his arrest. He was never charged with the murders, as he eventually committed suicide by shooting himself in the head. He left a suicide note, but he didn't admit to any crimes.

READ MORE: Businessman Brutally Murdered Allegedly by 4 of His Workers Who Swung an Axe Into His Head 

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