Latest news with #TheFoxHollowMurders:PlaygroundofaSerialKiller
Indianapolis Star
12-06-2025
- Indianapolis Star
Indiana serial killer case from the 1990s is still under investigation. About Fox Hollow Farm
Four bodies found in Fall Creek, Pleasant Run Creek and the White River during a two-week period led some people on social media to theorize that there is a serial killer in Indianapolis. Police are still investigating, but they believe the deaths are unrelated. Investigators are, however, still learning more over time about an accused serial killer from the 1990s and his victims. Here's what to know. At the time of publication, there is not a reported serial killer in Indianapolis. The investigation into bodies found in water recently is still ongoing. While there isn't an active serial killer, there is still an active serial killer investigation: The Fox Hollow Farm murders. Herb Baumeister, the man who is believed to be the culprit behind the Fox Hollow Farm murders, is perhaps the most infamous serial killer in the Indianapolis area. Investigators believe he killed numerous men during the 1990s as remains were discovered on his farm in Westfield. The work to identify his victims is still ongoing. Only 10 suspected victims have been identified at this point, but there are estimated to be 25. 2025: Is there a serial killer in Indianapolis? Police say 4 bodies found in water unrelated Baumeister was a Westfield businessman during the 1990s and is believed to be the serial killer responsible for the Fox Hollow Farm murders. The victims were mostly young, gay men that Baumeister lured to his property north of Indianapolis, according to the coroner. Authorities never got the chance to interview the suspected serial killer. Before law enforcement could arrest him, Baumeister fled to Canada, where he shot and killed himself at an Ontario park near Lake Huron. Story continues after photo gallery. Foc Hollow Farm: Docuseries spurs interest in Westfield case as coroner looks to ID more victims A docuseries about the infamous Indianapolis murders dropped on Hulu Feb 18. "The Fox Hollow Murders: Playground of a Serial Killer" is available to stream on Hulu. Docuseries: 'The Fox Hollow Murders: Playground of a Serial Killer' is now streaming Watch 'The Fox Hollow Murders' on Hulu with Disney+ bundle While only 10 have been identified, investigators believe there may be 25 total. Story continues after photo gallery. The Fox Hollow Farm case is still open, and victims are actively being identified. The most recent identification happened in April 2025. To learn more about the identified victims and the investigation, read the article below. Fox Hollow victims: Fox Hollow Farm docuseries follows Herb Baumeister case. See which victims' remains were ID'd
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Yahoo
Fox Hollow Farm serial killer's 10th victim identified: coroner
A 10th victim has been recovered from Fox Hollow Farm, where suspected serial killer Herb Baumeister lived in Indiana. The Hamilton County Coroner's Office said in a news release that the body found at Fox Hallow Farm in Westfield, Indiana, belongs to Daniel Thomas Halloran. According to Fox 59, Halloran was born in 1972, but officials aren't sure when he died. Halloran is the 10th identified victim from Fox Hollow Farm, but investigators have tied Baumeister to at least 25 victims overall. A spokesperson for the Hamilton County Coroner's Office told Fox News Digital it still has three DNA profiles that haven't yet been identified. Fox Hollow Serial Killer's Secret Tapes Could Reveal Murder Horrors If Ever Found: Documentary Halloran's daughter, 32-year-old Coral Halloran, told WTHR that she didn't know how to respond upon hearing that her father was an alleged victim of Baumeister. She said her father went missing in 1993, just one year after she was born. "I feel kind of like I'm mourning," Coral said. "All my life, I kind of expected my dad to be around and one day hoping he'd come try to find me. Read On The Fox News App "It makes me sick and weary to my stomach, having to know my dad was brutally murdered. It's hard. And for all the other victims out there, their families, I'm with them. I'm praying hard for them." Police believe Baumeister lured gay men to his home between the 1980s and 1990s, where he would allegedly kill them and bury their bodies across his 18-acre property. Around 10,000 bone fragments and charred bones were found on the property. Detectives believe Baumeister often went to gay bars in the Indianapolis area. During periods when his family was out of town, Baumeister lured men into his home where it's believed he killed them. Baumeister owned the Sav-A-Lot shopping chain. SIGN UP TO GET True Crime Newsletter In 1996, Baumeister killed himself in a Canadian park shortly after bone fragments were discovered on his property, prompting an investigation to be opened. "This identification is a significant development in our ongoing efforts to provide answers to the families of those who went missing," Jeff Jellison, Hamilton County coroner, said after Halloran's remains were identified. "We are grateful for the expertise of Othram and the advances in forensic science that made this possible." New England Serial Killer Fears Merit 'Review And Investigation' After Remains Found Across 3 States: Expert According to a recent documentary from ABC News Studios titled "The Fox Hollow Murders: Playground of a Serial Killer," investigators believe Baumeister filmed his victims using a hidden camera placed in a basement air vent. "Something to relive… the murders," said retired Hamilton County Sheriff's Office Det. Cary Milligan. "We're looking through the bottom of the entertainment area… and we noticed this vent. … I was suspicious that if Herb was videotaping any activity that might have been going on. … That may have been a way that Herb could've gained power over the individuals that he was killing." GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE True Crime Hub "It's not uncommon for serial killers to keep mementos or trinkets from victims," Milligan added. Jellison previously told Fox News Digital it's unlikely the video recordings will be recovered. The coroner's office said forensic laboratory Othram Inc. played a critical role in identifying Halloran through DNA analysis. The Indiana State Police, University of Indianapolis, Human Identification Center and Marion County Coroner's Office also assisted in identifying the remains. Follow The Fox True Crime Team On X Fox News Digital's Stephanie Nolasco and Audrey Conklin contributed to this article source: Fox Hollow Farm serial killer's 10th victim identified: coroner
Fox News
30-04-2025
- Fox News
Fox Hollow Farm serial killer's 10th victim identified: coroner
A 10th victim has been recovered from Fox Hollow Farm, where suspected serial killer Herb Baumeister lived in Indiana. The Hamilton County Coroner's Office said in a news release that the body found at Fox Hallow Farm in Westfield, Indiana, belongs to Daniel Thomas Halloran. According to Fox 59, Halloran was born in 1972, but officials aren't sure when he died. Halloran is the 10th identified victim from Fox Hollow Farm, but investigators have tied Baumeister to at least 25 victims overall. A spokesperson for the Hamilton County Coroner's Office told Fox News Digital it still has three DNA profiles that haven't yet been identified. Halloran's daughter, 32-year-old Coral Halloran, told WTHR that she didn't know how to respond upon hearing that her father was an alleged victim of Baumeister. She said her father went missing in 1993, just one year after she was born. "I feel kind of like I'm mourning," Coral said. "All my life, I kind of expected my dad to be around and one day hoping he'd come try to find me. "It makes me sick and weary to my stomach, having to know my dad was brutally murdered. It's hard. And for all the other victims out there, their families, I'm with them. I'm praying hard for them." Police believe Baumeister lured gay men to his home between the 1980s and 1990s, where he would allegedly kill them and bury their bodies across his 18-acre property. Around 10,000 bone fragments and charred bones were found on the property. Detectives believe Baumeister often went to gay bars in the Indianapolis area. During periods when his family was out of town, Baumeister lured men into his home where it's believed he killed them. Baumeister owned the Sav-A-Lot shopping chain. SIGN UP TO GET TRUE CRIME NEWSLETTER In 1996, Baumeister killed himself in a Canadian park shortly after bone fragments were discovered on his property, prompting an investigation to be opened. "This identification is a significant development in our ongoing efforts to provide answers to the families of those who went missing," Jeff Jellison, Hamilton County coroner, said after Halloran's remains were identified. "We are grateful for the expertise of Othram and the advances in forensic science that made this possible." According to a recent documentary from ABC News Studios titled "The Fox Hollow Murders: Playground of a Serial Killer," investigators believe Baumeister filmed his victims using a hidden camera placed in a basement air vent. "Something to relive… the murders," said retired Hamilton County Sheriff's Office Det. Cary Milligan. "We're looking through the bottom of the entertainment area… and we noticed this vent. … I was suspicious that if Herb was videotaping any activity that might have been going on. … That may have been a way that Herb could've gained power over the individuals that he was killing." GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE TRUE CRIME HUB "It's not uncommon for serial killers to keep mementos or trinkets from victims," Milligan added. Jellison previously told Fox News Digital it's unlikely the video recordings will be recovered. The coroner's office said forensic laboratory Othram Inc. played a critical role in identifying Halloran through DNA analysis. The Indiana State Police, University of Indianapolis, Human Identification Center and Marion County Coroner's Office also assisted in identifying the remains.
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Yahoo
Fox Hollow serial killer's secret tapes could reveal murder horrors if ever found: documentary
Herb Baumeister took many secrets to the grave. One of them is the location of his trove of missing tapes, which some believe detail how his $1 million estate, the Fox Hollow Farm, became his personal killing field. Baumeister, believed to be one of the most prolific serial killers in Indiana history, is the subject of a four-part true-crime documentary from ABC News Studios, "The Fox Hollow Murders: Playground of a Serial Killer." The series is available to stream on Hulu. Fox Hollow Serial Killer Victim's Family Seeks Help To Id 10,000 Pieces Of Remains: 'Second Only To 9/11' About 10,000 charred bones and bone fragments have been found at the 18-acre estate of the married father of three. Before Baumeister could be taken into custody in 1996, he was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in a Canadian park. He was 49. Read On The Fox News App According to the U.K.'s Daily Mail, Baumeister's wife Julie said a large collection of tapes had gone missing from their home. The outlet also shared that Canadian police had also spotted a box of tapes inside Baumeister's vehicle days before his death. The film details how investigators believed Baumeister may have filmed his victims with a secret camera hidden in an air vent in his basement. Indiana Serial Killer Made Concerning Purchase Before Burying 10,000 Peices Of Remains At Home: Family Friend "It's not uncommon for serial killers to keep mementos or trinkets from victims," retired Hamilton County Sheriff's Office Det. Cary Milligan said in the docuseries. "Something to relive … the murders," he shared. "We're looking through the bottom of the entertainment area … and we noticed this vent. … I was suspicious that if Herb was videotaping any activity that might have been going on. … That may have been a way that Herb could've gained power over the individuals that he was killing." According to the film, the vent appeared as if someone had quickly tried to remove something from it. Follow The Fox True Crime Team On X "Inside it was big enough that a video camera could have been placed up there," said Milligan. "It was positioned so if you inserted a camera it would look directly down on a chaise lounge." Milligan said he asked Julie if Herb "did a lot of videotaping." She said he did. Indiana Serial Killer's 18-Acre Property Still Hides Secrets "She led me into a storage room where there was a blank spot on the shelving," Milligan recalled. "She said, 'Well, he usually keeps them right there, and they're gone. I don't understand why they're gone.' It's theorized that he was either recording sexual activity before the homicides or even maybe after the homicides. "It's possible, yes, that he was recording something illicit," he shared. "That's why he got rid of the tapes." Mark Goodyear, who was long believed to be Baumeister's sole survivor, claimed he was forced to watch some of the tapes in 1994. Goodyear said in the film the footage was so "bad" it made him scream. Goodyear didn't specify what he saw in the video. It's also noted that Goodyear's story has changed multiple times. Sign Up To Get The True Crime Newsletter "It was like having a camera right up against something," said Goodyear. "You're not going to be able to tell what's going on, but the minute you got a flash of what was going on, it made you scream." Hamilton County Coroner Jeff Jellison, who participated in the docuseries, told Fox News Digital it's unlikely those tapes will ever be recovered. The whereabouts of the tapes remain unknown. WATCH: FRIEND OF SERIAL KILLER'S FATHER RECALLS TROUBLING PURCHASE "All I know is what the police report says, that there were tapes in the back seat of his vehicle," said Jellison. "Will we ever find those? I think the chances of that are probably slim. But I will say that because of the documentary, there is already information [coming] forward about potential victims ... information about the murders. And, of course, we're sifting through that now. It's in the very early stages. "So, where those tapes are at, I don't know," said Jellison. "Do I think we'll ever find them? I would say it'd be a slim chance." Investigators believe Baumeister frequented gay bars in Indianapolis. When his family was away on trips, the thrift store owner would lure men to his home and kill them. He then buried the bodies around the sprawling property. The murder spree came to an end in 1994 when his 13-year-old son found a human skull in the woods around Fox Hollow Farm. Julie confronted her spouse about the ghoulish discovery. He claimed the skull was from a medical school skeleton once owned by his late father, an anesthesiologist. Days later, it vanished. When police investigated the home, Baumeister also disappeared. While he left a rambling suicide note, Baumeister didn't mention the crimes. By 1999, authorities had linked him to the disappearance of at least 16 men since 1980, including several whose bodies were found dumped in shallow streams in rural central Indiana and western Ohio. GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE True Crime Hub In 2022, Jellison announced a renewed effort to identify the bones found using modern DNA technology. He said investigators believe the bones and fragments could represent the remains of at least 25 people. "First of all, we had 10,000 human remains in boxes sitting on a shelf at a university that we had not done anything with for nearly 30 years," Jellison explained to Fox News Digital. "That's not right. … They were forgotten in the '90s. We can't let that go any longer." The remains have been held at the University of Indianapolis' Human Identification Center, whose staff helped excavate the remains. In 2022, Eric Pranger sent Jellison a Facebook message. He believed his cousin, Allen Livingston, could have been one of Baumeister's victims. The 27-year-old, who was bisexual, vanished in 1993. "We believe, and we heard this from some sources, that [Baumeister] was taking the clothing of the men that he killed and then depositing it at the thrift stores that he owned and then selling that clothing," the documentary's director, Alex Jablonski, told Fox News Digital. "It was like these guys just disappeared into thin air. Not even the clothes were left behind." Jellison said Livingston's mother, who was ill, was yearning for closure before she died. "How do you say no?" said Jellison. "How do you walk away? You can't. Had the Livingston family not [reached out], those remains would probably still be sitting there forgotten." With the help of DNA testing, Jellison announced in 2023 that Livingston's remains had been identified. Livingston's mother died in November 2024. There are many questions still unanswered. Jellison is adamant that Baumeister didn't act alone. "I'm a coroner. I move deceased individuals daily," he said. "That's not an easy task … When you look at everything, I think it points very strongly towards a potential accomplice or, at least, a helper." Jablonski agrees. "There's been a lot of chatter online of people being like, 'He could have had a wheelbarrow.' … But these woods were thick. They are still thick. You're talking about fallen trees, roots, thick underbrush. You put 200 pounds in a wheelbarrow and try to move it a hundred feet through the woods like that. "You're going to lose your mind. You're going to be exhausted and frustrated. And we know from forensics that if it was a wheelbarrow, you would've had to push it through logs you had to lift and mud for 300–500 feet. It does seem highly unlikely, especially in the volume in which he was killing." Jellison also noted that shotgun shells and handcuffs were found in the woods. "One set of handcuffs that was found had a human arm in it," said Jellison. "If he acted alone, did he somehow walk his victims out into the woods and shoot them? I don't know." Today, Jellison is urging anyone who has a missing loved one to contact him. Since the documentary premiered, he's received many emails, texts and Facebook messages from those who are still searching for someone who vanished decades ago. "We need to get a DNA swab, and it's very simple," he said. "It just takes a few seconds, and it's the most efficient way to identify the remains. Please don't hesitate. … I don't care where you're at, what part of the country. "I don't care who it is that's missing. What I care about is that you call me. I'll get you the right authority to provide your DNA. That may lead to identification not just in the Fox Hollow case, but anywhere in our country. "We're here. That's what we do for the living."Original article source: Fox Hollow serial killer's secret tapes could reveal murder horrors if ever found: documentary
Fox News
01-03-2025
- Fox News
Fox Hollow serial killer's secret tapes could reveal murder horrors if ever found: documentary
Herb Baumeister took many secrets to the grave. One of them is the location of his trove of missing tapes, which some believe detail how his $1 million estate, the Fox Hollow Farm, became his personal killing field. Baumeister, believed to be one of the most prolific serial killers in Indiana history, is the subject of a four-part true-crime documentary from ABC News Studios, "The Fox Hollow Murders: Playground of a Serial Killer." The series is available to stream on Hulu. About 10,000 charred bones and bone fragments have been found at the 18-acre estate of the married father of three. Before Baumeister could be taken into custody in 1996, he was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in a Canadian park. He was 49. According to the U.K.'s Daily Mail, Baumeister's wife Julie said a large collection of tapes had gone missing from their home. The outlet also shared that Canadian police had also spotted a box of tapes inside Baumeister's vehicle days before his death. The film details how investigators believed Baumeister may have filmed his victims with a secret camera hidden in an air vent in his basement. "It's not uncommon for serial killers to keep mementos or trinkets from victims," retired Hamilton County Sheriff's Office Det. Cary Milligan said in the docuseries. "Something to relive … the murders," he shared. "We're looking through the bottom of the entertainment area … and we noticed this vent. … I was suspicious that if Herb was videotaping any activity that might have been going on. … That may have been a way that Herb could've gained power over the individuals that he was killing." According to the film, the vent appeared as if someone had quickly tried to remove something from it. "Inside it was big enough that a video camera could have been placed up there," said Milligan. "It was positioned so if you inserted a camera it would look directly down on a chaise lounge." Milligan said he asked Julie if Herb "did a lot of videotaping." She said he did. "She led me into a storage room where there was a blank spot on the shelving," Milligan recalled. "She said, 'Well, he usually keeps them right there, and they're gone. I don't understand why they're gone.' It's theorized that he was either recording sexual activity before the homicides or even maybe after the homicides. "It's possible, yes, that he was recording something illicit," he shared. "That's why he got rid of the tapes." Mark Goodyear, who was long believed to be Baumeister's sole survivor, claimed he was forced to watch some of the tapes in 1994. Goodyear said in the film the footage was so "bad" it made him scream. Goodyear didn't specify what he saw in the video. It's also noted that Goodyear's story has changed multiple times. "It was like having a camera right up against something," said Goodyear. "You're not going to be able to tell what's going on, but the minute you got a flash of what was going on, it made you scream." Hamilton County Coroner Jeff Jellison, who participated in the docuseries, told Fox News Digital it's unlikely those tapes will ever be recovered. The whereabouts of the tapes remain unknown. WATCH: FRIEND OF SERIAL KILLER'S FATHER RECALLS TROUBLING PURCHASE "All I know is what the police report says, that there were tapes in the back seat of his vehicle," said Jellison. "Will we ever find those? I think the chances of that are probably slim. But I will say that because of the documentary, there is already information [coming] forward about potential victims ... information about the murders. And, of course, we're sifting through that now. It's in the very early stages. "So, where those tapes are at, I don't know," said Jellison. "Do I think we'll ever find them? I would say it'd be a slim chance." Investigators believe Baumeister frequented gay bars in Indianapolis. When his family was away on trips, the thrift store owner would lure men to his home and kill them. He then buried the bodies around the sprawling property. The murder spree came to an end in 1994 when his 13-year-old son found a human skull in the woods around Fox Hollow Farm. Julie confronted her spouse about the ghoulish discovery. He claimed the skull was from a medical school skeleton once owned by his late father, an anesthesiologist. Days later, it vanished. When police investigated the home, Baumeister also disappeared. While he left a rambling suicide note, Baumeister didn't mention the crimes. By 1999, authorities had linked him to the disappearance of at least 16 men since 1980, including several whose bodies were found dumped in shallow streams in rural central Indiana and western Ohio. GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE TRUE CRIME HUB In 2022, Jellison announced a renewed effort to identify the bones found using modern DNA technology. He said investigators believe the bones and fragments could represent the remains of at least 25 people. "First of all, we had 10,000 human remains in boxes sitting on a shelf at a university that we had not done anything with for nearly 30 years," Jellison explained to Fox News Digital. "That's not right. … They were forgotten in the '90s. We can't let that go any longer." The remains have been held at the University of Indianapolis' Human Identification Center, whose staff helped excavate the remains. In 2022, Eric Pranger sent Jellison a Facebook message. He believed his cousin, Allen Livingston, could have been one of Baumeister's victims. The 27-year-old, who was bisexual, vanished in 1993. "We believe, and we heard this from some sources, that [Baumeister] was taking the clothing of the men that he killed and then depositing it at the thrift stores that he owned and then selling that clothing," the documentary's director, Alex Jablonski, told Fox News Digital. "It was like these guys just disappeared into thin air. Not even the clothes were left behind." Jellison said Livingston's mother, who was ill, was yearning for closure before she died. "How do you say no?" said Jellison. "How do you walk away? You can't. Had the Livingston family not [reached out], those remains would probably still be sitting there forgotten." With the help of DNA testing, Jellison announced in 2023 that Livingston's remains had been identified. Livingston's mother died in November 2024. There are many questions still unanswered. Jellison is adamant that Baumeister didn't act alone. "I'm a coroner. I move deceased individuals daily," he said. "That's not an easy task … When you look at everything, I think it points very strongly towards a potential accomplice or, at least, a helper." Jablonski agrees. "There's been a lot of chatter online of people being like, 'He could have had a wheelbarrow.' … But these woods were thick. They are still thick. You're talking about fallen trees, roots, thick underbrush. You put 200 pounds in a wheelbarrow and try to move it a hundred feet through the woods like that. "You're going to lose your mind. You're going to be exhausted and frustrated. And we know from forensics that if it was a wheelbarrow, you would've had to push it through logs you had to lift and mud for 300–500 feet. It does seem highly unlikely, especially in the volume in which he was killing." Jellison also noted that shotgun shells and handcuffs were found in the woods. "One set of handcuffs that was found had a human arm in it," said Jellison. "If he acted alone, did he somehow walk his victims out into the woods and shoot them? I don't know." Today, Jellison is urging anyone who has a missing loved one to contact him. Since the documentary premiered, he's received many emails, texts and Facebook messages from those who are still searching for someone who vanished decades ago. "We need to get a DNA swab, and it's very simple," he said. "It just takes a few seconds, and it's the most efficient way to identify the remains. Please don't hesitate. … I don't care where you're at, what part of the country. "I don't care who it is that's missing. What I care about is that you call me. I'll get you the right authority to provide your DNA. That may lead to identification not just in the Fox Hollow case, but anywhere in our country. "We're here. That's what we do for the living."
