IN IN - Herbert Richard Baumeister AKA Brian Smart Preyed on Gay Men - Remains Found at Fox Hollow Farm - Possibly I-70 IN/OH Serial Killer

[Vern]

First, I am so sorry for your loss. From what I could find, George was described as a very kind man who, as quoted, wouldn't hurt a fly.

I've been able to find quite a few articles about the murder, the most important of which I'll link. His body was found on the morning of December 20, 1993, in the front room of his apartment, feet from the front door, which had been partly locked.

He had been beaten and stabbed, though I couldn't find any note of a part of his skull being missing. He was last seen at 2:30 a.m. on December 19, leaving the Unicorn Lounge, which from research, I believe is a gay bar. He is theorized to have picked up someone there. His car would be found days after his murder at a small shopping center.

Slain man's car is found

Clipping found in The Indianapolis News published in Indianapolis, Indiana on 12/25/1993. Slain man's car is found

www.newspapers.com

Information sought in slaying

Clipping found in The Indianapolis News published in Indianapolis, Indiana on 5/23/1994. Information sought in slaying

www.newspapers.com

Lawrence man found dead; car missing

Clipping found in The Indianapolis Star published in Indianapolis, Indiana on 12/21/1993. Lawrence man found dead; car missing

www.newspapers.com

Man slain in Lawrence was beaten and stabbed

Clipping found in The Indianapolis Star published in Indianapolis, Indiana on 12/22/1993. Man slain in Lawrence was beaten and stabbed

www.newspapers.com

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Oddly, from what I could find, I found no evidence that George had been strangled in any way, but it's very possibly police didn't disclose this, nor the missing skull piece.

I haven't researched this case extensively, but George's movements shortly before his murder seem very close to Baumeister's known victims. I do recommend contacting to person also mentioned, to see if the missing skull piece may be among the bones found at Fox Hollow Farm.

Does George have a thread here on Websleuths?? That would be a great first step if not. I have no idea how to start one.

 

[dotr]

Does George have a thread here on Websleuths?? That would be a great first step if not. I have no idea how to start one.

Hastily assembled, hope this is fine, thanks to links provided by Palisades.

IN - IN- George Curtis, 54, data processor, last seen leaving the Unicorn Lounge, fatally bludgeoned & stabbed, @ home, Lawrence, 19 December 1993.

My great uncle George Curtis was brutally murdered in Indianapolis, Indiana December 19-20,1993 in his apartment. They are unsure of his exact date of death. He was a gay man in his 50s. He was strangled, stabbed, and left with a piece of his skull missing. He lived on the east side of...

www.websleuths.com

 

[DS2021]

His car would be found days after his murder at a small shopping center.

Jerry Williams-Comer – The Charley Project

Jerry is a suspected HB victim. His vehicle was found abandoned at a mall.

Definitely an interesting similarity

 

[DS2021]

Fox Hollow serial killer victim's family seeks help to ID 10,000 pieces of remains: 'Second only to 9/11'

Nine identified victims of Indiana's notorious 1990s Fox Hollow Farm serial killings and an unknown number of unidentified others were publicly honored for the first time Thursday.

www.yahoo.com

Bbm

The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office and Coroner's Office have successfully named the nine known victims and are in the process of identifying four others. There were a total of 10,000 pieces of human remains located on the 18-acre estate where serial killer Herb Baumeister, owner of the Sav-A-Lot shopping chain, once lived.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Hamilton County Coroner Jeff Jellison said the renewed identification effort revealed that county officials at the time decided not to fund additional DNA testing, which “essentially halted further efforts to identify the victims and placed the cost of a homicide investigation on family members of missing people.”

“I can’t speak for those investigators, but it was just game over,” Jellison said.

Most of the bones were crushed and burned, reducing their potential to yield usable DNA. Latham, a professor of biology and anthropology, said bone fragments deemed in poor shape are being held back from the destructive testing process in hope that future DNA technologies can unlock their secrets.

She noted some of the men may have been estranged from relatives or ostracized because of their sexuality. No one may have noticed when they vanished.

“These are individuals who were marginalized in life. And we just need to make sure that that’s not continuing in death as well,” Latham said

Thousands of mystery human bones were found on a serial killer’s farm

Decades later and the mystery of the victims could finally be solved

www.independent.co.uk

 

[Deleted member 306806]

Here is a good update: Their remains were found decades ago. A new push could identify all of an Indiana serial killer's victims

"The three other DNA profiles remain unidentified and two are still undergoing testing. Those three have boosted Baumeister’s presumed victims to 12.
Jellison and his partners say their identification effort could take several more years to complete."

Some bone fragments that were deemed in too poor of shape are being held right now rather than attempting testing and destroying the fragment in the process. This is in anticipation of further technological advanced in DNA testing.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

But, a secret stash of tapes could finally answer these questions and solve this dark mystery that still haunts the communities in Baumeister’s hunting ground of downtown Indianapolis and his killing field in Westfield.

An air vent in the ceiling of the basement in Herb Baumeister's Fox Hollow Farm where he is believed to have hidden a camera to record his victims

Missing tapes could reveal secrets of Fox Hollow Farm serial killer

A hidden camera was found on a property owned by murderer dubbed 'worse than Jeffrey Dahmer' where 10,000 human remains have been found.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[DS2021]

New docuseries 'The Fox Hollow Murders: Playground of a Serial Killer' is now streaming

The infamous murders that took place at Fox Hollow Farm now has a four-part documentary series available to stream from home. Here's how.

www.indystar.com

 

[dotr]

Feb 11, 2025
'From ABC News Studios, “The Fox Hollow Murders: Playground of a Serial Killer” begins streaming Tuesday, February 18th, only on Hulu.''

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[Gigiky]

Feb 11, 2025
'From ABC News Studios, “The Fox Hollow Murders: Playground of a Serial Killer” begins streaming Tuesday, February 18th, only on Hulu.''

​

I came across this on Hulu yesterday and watched the whole series. I have a lot of family in Indiana and no one had ever heard about this.

 

[Gigiky]

I don't think I'm buying that MG is totally innocent of any wrong doing. JMO but I feel like he played some part in all of it. Rather he did it to save him self or for whatever the reason.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

It's where authorities discovered the charred and decomposing remains of an estimated 25 people. The sheriff's office would eventually recover more than 10,000 bone fragments scattered across the woodsy farmland, according to the Hamilton County Coroner's Office.

Fox Hollow Farm docuseries follows Herb Baumeister case. See which victims' remains were ID'd

Before you watch the new Hulu docuseries about Fox Hollow Farm, catch up on the history of the case and how victims have been identified.

www.indystar.com

 

[friendlysleuther]

I don't think I'm buying that MG is totally innocent of any wrong doing. JMO but I feel like he played some part in all of it. Rather he did it to save him self or for whatever the reason.

100%. The sheriffs office dropped the ball on this case.

I mean..

They were gathering up dozens (if not hundreds, at the time) of human bones in the yard & RB wasn’t arrested or even questioned at the time

 

[friendlysleuther]

But, a secret stash of tapes could finally answer these questions and solve this dark mystery that still haunts the communities in Baumeister’s hunting ground of downtown Indianapolis and his killing field in Westfield.

An air vent in the ceiling of the basement in Herb Baumeister's Fox Hollow Farm where he is believed to have hidden a camera to record his victims

Missing tapes could reveal secrets of Fox Hollow Farm serial killer

A hidden camera was found on a property owned by murderer dubbed 'worse than Jeffrey Dahmer' where 10,000 human remains have been found.

www.dailymail.co.uk

(Idk why, but)— Stuff like this makes me think about the ‘dark web’ & the videos I’ve heard of being on there… Man. it makes me sick to think about (all of this)

What did Herb do with these tapes?!
He just.. took them to Canada & nobody ever saw them again?

Justice & closure for these families is long overdue.

 

[KCAnne]

I don't think I'm buying that MG is totally innocent of any wrong doing. JMO but I feel like he played some part in all of it. Rather he did it to save him self or for whatever the reason.

MG admitted to several people over the years that he was in a years long relationship with RB. There's no way he was THAT comfort and had THAT much knowledge about the house for only being there once.

 

[Gigiky]

MG admitted to several people over the years that he was in a years long relationship with RB. There's no way he was THAT comfort and had THAT much knowledge about the house for only being there once.

Totally agree. Watching his whole demeanor while being interviewed just gave me chills.

 

[INfisherman]

Can’t wait to watch this. I remember vividly when they initially found the remains. I was in my mid-20s when they made the discovery & it still creeps me out to this day.

IIRC, HB fled immediately to Canada when he realized LE were onto him. There wasn’t much of a chance to arrest him before confirming the bones were human. I could be mistaken though, as I’m going from memory.

 

[INfisherman]

First, I feel it’s important to point out that from the time the investigation began, when the 15 year old found the skull, to the point of HB’s suicide was 2 weeks (refer to summary of case at end of post). LE didn’t necessarily drop any balls as all they had were bones & a sketchy witness statement from a likely known drug user. Drugs were heavily involved with HB & his male companions. That was part of the lure to get many of the men out of the bars & to the home. MG was likely using the wealthy HB for free drugs & probably did know what was occurring but was fearful of being charged in some manner for not doing more than his initial report. He also was likely in fear for his life if HB was alive at the time he gave his statement - whether that fear was genuine or induced via drug use/haziness.

The drugs likely skewed the perception of the victims who didn’t make it out alive & acted as an anchor until HB was able to slip them something more debilitating (rohypnol, ecstasy, GHB, ketamine, LSD, etc.). MG himself tips this in his original statement. Maybe that’s where his involvement was - maybe it was HB’s money & MG’s ability to access the drugs. Who knows. I just don’t see MG as a murderer or one to help dispose of the bodies. He seems more like a person who would say whatever to get what he needs to survive & steer clear of lesser charges. No, he’s not innocent but he’s not the monster either. The monster is dead, fortunately.

What is odd to me is where was the wife & kids all this time? I’m about 1/2 way through the documentary & it’s already kind of leaning towards tabloid style to me. Locally, little is ever said in the papers or on local news channels concerning the investigation. What I usually see or hear is related to IDing the victims. I can’t answer for LE’s lack of taking HB into custody sooner - the documentary did point out (although very quickly & subtly) the prosecutor didn’t feel they had enough evidence to bring him in. All they had were bones - no evidence a crime was even committed at that point in time. For all anyone knew at that time it could’ve been an old graveyard. Obviously MG’s interview was enough to get a warrant for getting on the property but it wasn’t enough for an arrest warrant yet. They also had issues with manpower & keeping him surveilled. That was when he fled the state.

HB was a very strange individual. I find it interesting how former coworkers tell their anecdotes today but never felt the need to do so 30 years ago, at least to the point where they mention it to LE for the sake of wellness checks. Not that they aren’t credible, but no way would I continue to work for someone who had a weird thing for mannequins & trying to play it off as normal. Invite me to a pool party where there’s mannequins surrounding & partially IN the pool? Nope - I’m gone as soon as I see them.

The current owner of the house seems just odd to me. What normal, down to earth person buys a house of horrors & keeps it as is, writes a book about it & invites media into their home & life to participate in a documentary? That’s just weird to me, not in a guilty or sinister manner but more like the focus is making money off of the questions which have gone unanswered. I’m just skeptical of the intentions behind the homeowner & doc folks. I commend the coroner for shining a renewed light on the case but I feel it will continue to remain focused on IDing victims rather than an investigation on LE’s side. That will likely be up to the DA & many of us know how government agencies aren’t keen on shining lights on their shortcomings.

https://fox59.com/news/what-we-know-about-the-herbert-baumeister-serial-killer-case/

JMO

 

[friendlysleuther]

First, I feel it’s important to point out that from the time the investigation began, when the 15 year old found the skull, to the point of HB’s suicide was 2 weeks (refer to summary of case at end of post). LE didn’t necessarily drop any balls as all they had were bones & a sketchy witness statement from a likely known drug user.

https://fox59.com/news/what-we-know-about-the-herbert-baumeister-serial-killer-case/

INfisherman, this is not true-- 'Baumeister's teen-age son and a friend in December 1994 found a human skull on the family's 18-acre Fox Hollow Farm'

 

[friendlysleuther]

Additional News Articles

June 26, 1996 - Recent Human Remains Found In Woods.

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June 28, 1996- Coroner: Human bones show signs of burning

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July 2nd, 1996- "Lab set up"

"Mr.Baumeister lives on East 72nd Street on the North side of Indianapolis." --HUH? With Goodyear (i presume??)

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July 6,1996-- Months after clues- bone-site owner wasn't a suspect

"Indianapolis police wanted to question Herbert about missing persons from Marion County as early as last November.
Baumeister, 48, never allowed it. That was 11 months after Baumeister's teen-age son and a friend in December 1994 found a human skull on the family's 18-acre Fox Hollow Farm."

"Indianapolis police were told last year that Baumeister was the last person seen with a missing man from Marion County."

"Two weeks ago -- six months after she had filed for divorce -- Mrs. Baumeister decided to call police"

^^^WHAT?! What do you guys think?? Did I just miss this part in the documentary or???

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Note: Herbert Baumeister died on July 3, 1996.