An Indiana serial killer’s property was littered with 10,000 “burnt and crushed” skeletal remains that kept many of his victims faceless for decades. 

Herb Baumeister, a successful businessman who was a married father with three children, is believed to have killed at least 25 victims from the late 1980s to the early 1990s.

He hunted mostly gay men in the Indianapolis suburb of Westfield, Indiana, where he lived on an 18-acre property known as Fox Hollow Farm.

Four decades later, authorities are still uncovering secrets buried under the vast property. Jeffrey A. Jones, who was reported missing in 1993, became the latest victim identified by the Hamilton County Coroner’s Office.

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Hamilton County Coroner Jeff Jellison renewed the investigation into the thousands of human remains that law enforcement recovered from Baumeister’s property after his death in 1996.

Investigators have four more DNA profiles that haven’t been identified yet, which brings Baumeister’s body count up to 12, according to Jellison. 

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“Because many of the remains were found burnt and crushed, this investigation is extremely challenging,” the county coroner said in a statement. “However, the team of law enforcement and forensic specialists working the case remain committed.”

Jones became Baumeister’s third victim whom the Hamilton County Coroner’s Office identified in the last six months. 

Herb Baumeister is suspected of killing at least 25 victims. So far, 12 victims have been connected to Baumeister.  (Indianapolis Police Department)

In December 2023, the coroner’s office identified Allen Livingston, who was 27 when he went missing in August 1993, and Manuel Resendez in January. Resendez was 34 when he seemingly vanished in 1996. 

Baumeister and his family moved into the now-infamous, $1 million Indiana home in May 1988. 

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He used the vast area and adjacent trail to hide thousands of decomposed remains, charred bone fragments and the human skull that was unearthed by Baumeister’s teenage son, who showed his mom (Baumeister’s wife). 

That was the beginning of the end of Baumeister’s reign of terror.

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Manuel Resendez, who was 34 when he seemingly vanished in 1996, was identified as one of Herb Baumeister’s victims in January 2024.  (Hamilton County Coroner’s Office)

Baumeister’s wife, who initially blocked law enforcement from searching their property, ultimately divorced Herb as it became clearer that he was a wanted killer. 

Authorities searched the property while Baumeister wasn’t home, and dug up the remains of several victims. 

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By 1996, there was a warrant out for his arrest, so he fled to Ontario, where he shot himself. He was 49 when he died. 

He was never charged with the murders, and he didn’t admit to any crimes in his suicide note. 

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About 10,000 remains of Indiana serial killer Herb Baumeister were found on the 18-acre Westfield, Indiana, property. (Google Street View)

While he was alive, Baumeister lived a double life, a common trait among serial killers, according to a 2005 report by the FBI. 

In one life, he was a seemingly ordinary husband and dad. He went to work and came home. 

In his secret life, law enforcement has said Baumeister went by the fake name of “Brian Smart” and mostly targeted young, gay men whom he met in bars. 

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“The majority of serial killers are not reclusive, social misfits who live alone,” the 2005 FBI report says. “They are not monsters and may not appear strange. Many serial killers hide in plain sight within their communities.

“Serial murderers often have families and homes, are gainfully employed and appear to be normal members of the community. Because many serial murderers can blend in so effortlessly, they are oftentimes overlooked by law enforcement and the public,” the report continues. 

About 10,000 remains of Indiana serial killer Herb Baumeister were found on the 18-acre Westfield, Indiana, property. (Google Street View)

The Hamilton County coroner’s office is still sifting through the remains. 

The FBI, Indiana State Police Laboratory, Dr. Krista Latham of the Biology & Anthropology Department at the University of Indianapolis and DNA experts from Texas-based Othram Lab were all instrumental in helping to identify the remains. 

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Othram, which is the largest forensic genetic genealogy lab in the country, partnered with the Hamilton County Coroner’s Office last year to bring closure to Baumeister’s victims.

“Othram scientists developed a comprehensive DNA profile for the unknown man using Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing.” Othram said in a statement. “After successfully completing the process, the DNA profile was delivered to the FBI’s forensic genetic genealogy team and the FBI team performed the necessary genealogical research to generate new investigative leads in the case.”

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee is ranked No. 1 in the country for a lot of very viable reasons. They can thump you just fine without any help, thank you very much.

And when you start doling out gifts to the Vols left and right, well, it’s a recipe for disaster. That was certainly the case for Indiana Saturday night in the NCAA Tournament baseball regional in Knoxville. They got boat-raced 12-6 by the Vols, who took advantage of 11 walks and two hit batters in the rout.

The Volunteers, who lead the nation in home runs, slugged four more on Saturday. That’s never a good thing, but when you consider that six of their other runs came with walks or hit batters just ahead of the homers, that was a big problem

Indiana made it too easy. Far too easy.

“Tennessee is a great team and they are No. 1 for a reason. But the difference really was the free bases on our part,” Indiana coach Jeff Mercer said. “Give them credit, they forced the issue and forced our hand in that regard. They didn’t expand, didn’t chase. They got into good counts and they did a lot of damage when they got there.

The loss forces Indiana to win out on Sunday now. Their day will start with a rematch against Southern Miss. The Golden Eagles, who lost 10-4 to Indiana on Friday, beat Northern Kentucky 6-0 on Saturday afternoon to stay alive. The game will start at Noon ET and will be available only on the ESPN-Plus streaming app. If they win, they’ll have to come back and beat Tennessee at 6 p.m. ET.

It was a rough night for Indiana starting pitcher Connor Foley. He has a high-90s fastball and can be overpowering at times, but he’s also just a sophomore and has dealt with wildness all season, walking 42 watchers in 60 innings before Saturday.

He walked seven and hit a batter in just 2 1/3 innings of work. He threw 91 pitches — just 44 for strikes — and allowed eight runs, all earned. Tennessee scored four runs in the second and five in the third to race out to a 9-0 lead.

“Connor is a terrific talent, but it’s an issue he’s battled throughout the year,” Mercer said of Foley. “I thought he held his composure fine and he competed, he just to continue to develop more skill. He’s still fairly new to pitching, and this is something he has to continue to battle. All the credit to them. They have an excellent offense, and they can make you pay when you’re running through an offense like that.

“Solo home runs won’t normally get you beat, but the free bases hurt, and they. took advantage of it.”

The Hoosiers got a three-run homer from designated hitter Devin Taylor in the third inning, and scored another run in the fourth after Tyler Cerny was hit by a pitch and scored on a double by Carter Mathison.

They threatened to get back in the game, but left the bases loaded in the fourth inning and two more in the fifth. They scored twice in the eighth with RBIs from Josh Pyne and Morgan Colopy.

Tennessee is now 52-11 on the season and 36-3 at home. They’ve won five straight regionals that they’ve hosted, and seem headed for another one. Indiana fell to 33-25-1.

No. 3-seed Indiana baseball is set to take on No. 1 overall seed Tennessee in game two of the Knoxville Regional after defeating Southern Mississippi 10-4 on Friday.

The regional marks Jeff Mercer’s third as the Hoosiers’ head coach, with the program having reached eight since 2013. Indiana went multiple seasons without appearing in the postseason before making it back-to-back in the past two years.

This year marks the first time Indiana has appeared in the same regional as the tournament’s No. 1 overall seed.

When is the game and how can I watch?

Game Date/Time: Saturday, June 1 at 6 p.m. ET

Location: Lindsey Nelson Stadium. Knoxville, Tennessee

TV: ESPNU

Radio: WHCC 105.1

Notes:

Indiana is coming off of a victory over Southern Miss (the first in program history) in game one. After the game, senior pitcher Ty Bothwell proposed to his girlfriend in the crowd after a huge day on the mound. Brock Tibbitts gave the Hoosiers an early lead that they never relinquished.

Tennessee is the class of the sport, having gone 51-11 on the year en route to an SEC title. The Vols will be an extremely tough out at home in tournament play.