The serial killer who was judged “worse than Jeffrey Dahmer” was a father of three who strangled men to death during intercourse and then scattered 10,000 bones across his family’s home. Second only to the terrorist events of 9/11, this is the greatest amount of unidentified human remains.
During his killing rampage in the early 1990s, Herb Baumeister, a married father of three, is thought to have killed about 25 young men. In order to lure victims back to his 18-acre suburban house, Fox Hollow Farm in Westfield, Indiana, he would stalk them in homosexual clubs in downtown Indianapolis. Even his little son found a human skull in the woods near their home before Baumeister was caught.
There, while his wife and kids were away, he would erotically asphyxiate them before killing them, then burn their bodies and scatter their bones about the family home. An alarming 10,000 human bones were discovered around the house.
Baumeister escaped to Canada and killed himself when police started looking into his horrible acts, leaving many unsolved concerns, such as whether he had an accomplice.
The Fox Hollow Murders, a four-part series produced by ABC News Studios, has left fans of true crime stunned. One viewer on X said, “‘The Fox Hollow Murders’ should’ve knocked Bundy, Dahmer, and Gacy off the front pages. This is crazy!”. “Did y’all see the documentary about the Fox Hollow murders? ? ? Over 10,000 bones found in the backyard,” one viewer posted.
Another said: “Okay the Fox Hollow Murders may be the craziest doc I’ve seen in a while and I’m still on episode one,” while another added: “The Fox Hollow Murders is a WILD story. One of the craziest serial killers you’ve never heard of.”
Inside #FoxHollowFarm, home of #serialkiller Herb Baumeister pic.twitter.com/EFJQpYvBGX
— Richard Estep (@estepr) February 19, 2025
It was revealed in a terrifying series detail that Baumeister’s Fox Hollow Farm was populated by mannequins. “Mannequins forever ominous after watching The Fox Hollow Murders doc,” one viewer said. Another added: “I have watched many true crime documentaries, including serial killer series. I have never heard of these murders. This docuseries was one of the most chilling I’ve seen.”
Since Mark Goodyear, the sole surviving victim, has altered his version of events several times, the killings of Baumeister remain a mystery. In the past, he denied any role in the killings but admitted to lying about his contact with the serial murderer.
When Goodyear came forward and said he survived an attack by a man he met in a bar in August 1994, who brought him to a huge suburban farm and tried to strangle him, Baumeister’s crimes were made public.
New developments in the case of serial killer Herb Baumeister.
There’s word the Hamilton County coroner is close to naming another victim, who hadn’t even been reported missing. More tips are also coming in since the release of the Hulu/ABC News Studios’ docuseries. pic.twitter.com/FwMqOYuWGv
— Marc Mullins (@MarcMullins1) February 25, 2025
Herb Baumeister turned out to be that man. Investigators have long suspected that Baumeister, a father of three, used a hidden camera in an air vent in his basement to covertly record his victims before, during, or after their killings.
It is thought that Baumeister stole this important piece of evidence when he fled to Canada. Shortly before his death, Canadian police discovered a box of tapes in his car, and his wife reported that his vast tape collection was missing from their house.
It’s still unclear where these purported “snuff films” are now and what information they could provide concerning Baumeister’s murderous rampage. It’s also questionable whether Baumeister destroyed of the cassettes in Canada or if someone helped him in hiding them before his suicide.
The identities of Baumeister’s victims are still being determined decades after the killings. Daniel Thomas Halloran was named in May as the tenth victim of the man who is currently regarded as one of the most infamous serial killers in America.
