10,000 Fragments Of Horror: The Chilling, Latest Updates On Fox Hollow Farm And Herb Baumeister's Victims

The sprawling 18-acre estate known as Fox Hollow Farm in Westfield, Indiana, remains one of the most haunted and active crime scenes in modern American history, even decades after the initial discovery. As of December 2025, the investigation into the suspected serial killer Herbert "Herb" Baumeister, who used the property as his personal burial ground in the 1990s, has seen a dramatic resurgence, fueled by new forensic technology and a dedicated push by the Hamilton County Coroner's office to bring closure to dozens of families. The case, which involves the discovery of approximately 10,000 human bone fragments, is a continuous tragedy that is finally yielding new answers.

The quest for justice at Fox Hollow Farm is a testament to the enduring power of forensic science. What was once a cold case has been reopened with the goal of identifying every single victim of the man who led a chilling double life right outside of Indianapolis. The latest efforts are not just about naming the dead; they are about correcting a decades-old wrong and understanding the full scope of a serial killer who targeted men in the Midwest during the early-to-mid 1990s.

Herbert "Herb" Baumeister: A Profile of Indiana's Serial Killer

Herbert Richard Baumeister presented as a successful, married family man, a pillar of his community, and the owner of a chain of thrift stores called Sav-A-Lot. His life, however, was a meticulously crafted facade concealing a dark and violent secret.

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• Full Name: Herbert Richard Baumeister
• Born: April 7, 1947, in Indianapolis, Indiana
• Died: July 3, 1996, in a park in Ontario, Canada (by suicide)
• Occupation: Businessman (Owner of Sav-A-Lot thrift stores)
• Residence: Fox Hollow Farm, an 18-acre estate in Westfield, Indiana
• Marital Status: Married to Julie Baumeister, with three children.
• Modus Operandi: Targeted gay men he met at Indianapolis-area gay bars, often using the alias "Brian Smart."
• Estimated Victims: Remains of 11 men found on the property; investigators believe the total could be up to 25.

Baumeister's double life began to unravel in the mid-1990s. His wife, Julie Baumeister, became suspicious of his erratic behavior and the strange collection of mannequins and skeletons he kept in their pool house. She was the one who eventually allowed police to search the property after filing for divorce.

When the search warrant was executed in June 1996, police discovered thousands of bones and bone fragments buried across the vast, wooded estate. Before he could be formally arrested, Baumeister fled to Canada, where he committed suicide, leaving behind a note that did not confess to the murders but alluded to his deteriorating mental state.

The Ongoing Forensic Battle: Identifying the 'Forgotten' Victims

The sheer scale of the horror—the discovery of an estimated 10,000 bone fragments—initially overwhelmed investigators in 1996. For decades, many of the victims remained unidentified, referred to only by the location of their remains.

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In 2022, Hamilton County Coroner Jeff Jellison reopened the cold case with a renewed commitment to leverage modern forensic science. This new effort has been significantly successful, bringing a fresh wave of identifications in 2024 and 2025.

Advanced DNA Analysis and New Identifications

The key to the recent breakthroughs is the use of advanced DNA analysis and forensic genetic genealogy, with the help of organizations like GenGenies. The process involves sending tiny bone fragments to the Indiana State Police Laboratory for DNA extraction and then comparing the profiles to missing persons databases and public genealogy records.

As of December 2025, the number of identified victims recovered from Fox Hollow Farm has reached 10, with the coroner's office continuing to process additional fragments.

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Confirmed Identified Victims from Fox Hollow Farm:

• Allen Livingston: Identified in 2023, missing since 1993.
• Daniel Thomas Halloran: Identified in 2024 as the 10th victim, missing since the 1990s.
• Manuel Resendez: Identified in 1996.
• Johnny Bayer: Identified in 1996.
• Jeffrey Jones: An early identified victim, whose disappearance helped lead police to Baumeister.
• (Four other victims were identified in the initial 1996 investigation, though names are often omitted in current public updates out of respect for the families.)

Coroner Jellison has publicly stated that there are still many unidentified remains, potentially belonging to as many as 25 victims, representing "several tragedies" still left in the case. The work is painstaking, often requiring the analysis of fragments no larger than a thumb.

The Lingering Shadow: The I-70 Killer Connection

One of the most compelling and terrifying aspects of the Baumeister case is the persistent theory that he may have been responsible for a wider series of unsolved murders along the I-70 corridor, leading to the moniker "I-70 Killer."

The victims found at Fox Hollow Farm were mostly men who disappeared from the Indianapolis area. However, the pattern of targeting men, particularly those frequenting gay bars in the Midwest, has led investigators and true crime enthusiasts to speculate about a connection to other unsolved cases across Indiana and Ohio.

While Baumeister has not been officially named the I-70 Killer (a separate, unidentified serial killer), the sheer volume of his crimes and the geographical proximity of his victims to major interstate highways suggest he was highly prolific and mobile. The lack of a full confession before his suicide means that many questions about the extent of his murder spree—including any potential links to the I-70 Strangler cases—may never be definitively answered.

The Legacy of Fox Hollow Farm Today

Today, the Fox Hollow Farm property in Westfield, Indiana, is forever marked by the atrocities that occurred there. The estate, a symbol of suburban normalcy turned horror, has become a notorious landmark in true crime history. The ongoing identification process ensures that the focus remains on the victims, who were "forgotten" for decades.

The dedication of the Hamilton County Coroner's office and the use of cutting-edge Forensic Anthropology techniques offer a beacon of hope for families still waiting for news. Every new identification, like that of Allen Livingston or Daniel Thomas Halloran, chips away at the anonymity imposed by a serial killer, restoring dignity to the victims and providing a measure of closure to their loved ones. The case of Herb Baumeister and Fox Hollow Farm serves as a stark reminder of the evil that can hide behind a seemingly perfect facade and the crucial, tireless work of cold case investigators.

The search for the remaining unidentified victims continues, with investigators urging anyone with information about missing men in the Indianapolis area in the 1990s to come forward. The goal is to ensure that the total number of victims is fully accounted for and that the full truth of the Fox Hollow Murders is finally revealed.