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]

Yeah, I can recall reading about him off & on over the years. I do recall the potential of bodies linked to him in areas of Ohio but I didn’t remember the one in Shelby County which is next door to my county. I believe the body was found in Gwynneville off of Brookville Road (US 52). Small town west of Rushville but between Morristown & Arlington. Was probably very rural back then, if I were to guess. Not an area where I ever really drove through for anything.

Like @IceIce9 (Hi neighbor - never realized you were a Hoosier) has stated, so much of the areas have changed since the mid-90s. Much of the NE side of Indy was farm ground back then & has since been developed into subdivisions. suburban estates, shopping plazas & businesses. Morgan & Monroe counties have always had lots of murders &/or bodies turn up. This would be SW of Indy, around Bloomington & Martinsville areas - throughout the White River valley along through there.

RBBM,

Gwynneville. #3 on the map from the newspaper article linked in my above post:

3. Shelby County

James B. Robbins. 21, found in a remote area near Gwynneville,
Oct. 17th, 1987.

From page 164:

View attachment 566356

Baumeister FBI Files.

I also just found this article from which states that a Press Conference was held 27 April 1998:

Two years after police found Baumeister's killing field, investigators from Hancock, Shelby and Hamilton counties held a news conference to announce that Baumeister was responsible for the strangulation deaths of nine men and boys whose bodies were dumped in Indiana and Ohio between 1980 and 1990.

The above article also includes an timeline of the investigation, searches etc.

And, here is a link to the full transcript of JB's interview with HCSO.

 

[INfisherman]

RBBM,

Gwynneville. #3 on the map from the newspaper article linked in my above post:



From page 164:

View attachment 566356

Baumeister FBI Files.

I also just found this article from which states that a Press Conference was held 27 April 1998:


The above article also includes an timeline of the investigation, searches etc.

And, here is a link to the full transcript of JB's interview with HCSO.

Yeah, Vern, I ran across some FBI PDF a few days ago which had the HCSO & SCSO speaking to bodies found & noted the Gwynneville reference. Seems HB was quite the busy bee for 15-20 years. As I’ve stated, it would have been nice knowing what his life was like prior to purchasing FHF & how much traveling, if any, he was doing from the documentary. They seemed more intent on finding a "helper" rather than broadening HB’s life. Been a long time & much of the evidence has probably been lost or deteriorated by now. What an absolute monster.

 

[Vern]

Yeah, Vern, I ran across some FBI PDF a few days ago which had the HCSO & SCSO speaking to bodies found & noted the Gwynneville reference. Seems HB was quite the busy bee for 15-20 years. As I’ve stated, it would have been nice knowing what his life was like prior to purchasing FHF & how much traveling, if any, he was doing from the documentary. They seemed more intent on finding a "helper" rather than broadening HB’s life. Been a long time & much of the evidence has probably been lost or deteriorated by now. What an absolute monster.

I haven't seen the doc as I don't have Hulu. Have to wait for it to be more widely avail here in Canada.

But, I too think there's more that HB comitted over the years during travels and at previous residences.

 

[IceIce9]

RBBM,

Gwynneville. #3 on the map from the newspaper article linked in my above post:



From page 164:

View attachment 566356

Baumeister FBI Files.

I also just found this article from which states that a Press Conference was held 27 April 1998:


The above article also includes an timeline of the investigation, searches etc.

And, here is a link to the full transcript of JB's interview with HCSO.

I used to live just north of Gwynneville on a farm, and the area was totally rural with large farms and few homes. Gwynneville was a tiny village with less than 200 residents.

I lived there between 1992 and 1999.

 

[friendlysleuther]

5356 E 72nd St- Residence he and his family have had sole control of.(345'x90'x147'x118')
(345'x90'x147'x118')
REDACTED residence (50'x144') b6
REDACTED residence (3x*3 wooded acres) b7c

x*= unintelligible, but i believe its an x? | Page 90, FBI Files
Former address 4221, East 75th St
Page 135, FBI Files

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Source: FBI Files

 

[INfisherman]

I live about 2 miles from Fox Hollow Farm, and I can’t believe how many of the people who live in the nearby neighborhoods have said they had no idea this had even occurred until they saw the documentary on Hulu.

Some of them live in the Viking Meadows neighborhood, which is very near Fox Hollow Farm.

Of course the nearby neighborhoods didn’t exist back when these murders were taking place. The area was rural.

Westfield wasn’t even a city until 2008.

A bit off topic. I believe it was a series titled “The Great Lakes Murders, documenting several murders around the Great Lakes, including Toronto where a young girl went missing in her way to school (or home from,school, don’t exactly recall). Anyway, when the police started looking into it, they found over 200 registered sex offenders within like a 2-3 miles radius of the girl’s home. I sat looking at the TV with my mouth open. Likely long before such info was available via web.

Really eerie when the grisly history of a particular area is revealed.

 

[INfisherman]

I used to live just north of Gwynneville on a farm, and the area was totally rural with large farms and few homes. Gwynneville was a tiny village with less than 200 residents.

I lived there between 1992 and 1999.

Ha - just saw where Big Blue River cuts through that area. Same river comes through the north side of my cousin’s farm in Shelby County, not too far west from Mount Auburn/Marietta area. Used to be my great grandparent’s property & was been in the family for well over a century if not 2. I know they owned land which was divided by 65 when it was constructed.

 

[nancradrew]

has anyone seen a yearbook photo of either HB or MG?

new member here pls advise

 

[friendlysleuther]

Yeah, Vern, I ran across some FBI PDF a few days ago which had the HCSO & SCSO speaking to bodies found & noted the Gwynneville reference. Seems HB was quite the busy bee for 15-20 years. As I’ve stated, it would have been nice knowing what his life was like prior to purchasing FHF & how much traveling, if any, he was doing from the documentary. They seemed more intent on finding a "helper" rather than broadening HB’s life. Been a long time & much of the evidence has probably been lost or deteriorated by now. What an absolute monster.

I made a post here in which I map out a potential victim of HB from whenever he was living in Indianapolis

 

[nancradrew]

has anyone seen a yearbook photo of either HB or MG?

new member here pls advise

North Central High School graduated 65' - public on the Indianapolis Public Digital Library

 

[dotr]

has anyone seen a yearbook photo of either HB or MG?

new member here pls advise

Welcome to Ws @nancradrew!
This pic?

Photos of Herbert Richard “Herb” Baumeister -...

Herbert (Herb) Richard Baumeister of Westfield, Indiana was born in Indianapolis on April 7, 1947, to Herbert E. and Elizabeth Baumeister. The elder Herbert was an anesthesiologist and Elizabeth a homemaker. Herb was the oldest of four children. He died on July 3, 1996 in Ontario, Canada of a...

www.findagrave.com

Herbert Richard "Herb" Baumeister in his North Central High School Yearbook photo from 1965.

 

[airportwoman]

Ok but this is a bit crazy —

November 1, 1997

“Police have not linked Baumeis-ter to any of the deaths, but he has been connected to the disappearance of some of the men whose remains were found. Due to the lack of evidence in the case, police have made a point of not referring to Baumeister as a serial killer.”
View attachment 566282

Here's the actual program.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

The coroner said he had two goals for the docuseries:

1. To allow the victim's families to share their stories as a path of healing
2. To bring attention to the case because there are still remains that have not been identified

He believes the case didn't get nationwide attention because there wasn't a bad guy to walk into the courtroom. Nobody was ever charged in the case.

ABC News docuseries sparks fresh investigation, new clues in Fox Hollow murders

New tips from ABC’s docuseries on Herb Baumeister's killings have led to DNA breakthroughs, identification of more victims, and calls for missing persons' families to assist in solving the case.

www.wrtv.com

 

[INfisherman]

The coroner said he had two goals for the docuseries:

1. To allow the victim's families to share their stories as a path of healing
2. To bring attention to the case because there are still remains that have not been identified

He believes the case didn't get nationwide attention because there wasn't a bad guy to walk into the courtroom. Nobody was ever charged in the case.

ABC News docuseries sparks fresh investigation, new clues in Fox Hollow murders

New tips from ABC’s docuseries on Herb Baumeister's killings have led to DNA breakthroughs, identification of more victims, and calls for missing persons' families to assist in solving the case.

www.wrtv.com

While the lack of a person to blame stands out quite boldly, just weeks later the Olympic bombing in Atlanta occurred followed by the Ramsey murder a few months later, both of which were major headline grabbers.

 

[friendlysleuther]

Here's the actual program.

Thank you! I’m watching this now— Below are some of my notes

At 24:00 in, Herbs (now former) wife discusses that she did not believe Herb had done anything.
“She seemed to be in shock. She did not let us on the property at that point.”

• “I said, get a search warrant.” - Juliana, Herbs (now former) wife

(Unsure on exact date of this…It discusses August, 1995 before staying — ‘after 3 months’.. so.. November 1995?)

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• Julie filed for divorce in January,1996.
• Julie told her attorney about her son finding a skull in their backyard.
• The attorney is the one that told the detective about the son finding a skull ‘some time ago’.
• “It looked like someone laid down and died, it was a complete skeleton” - Julie

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• In June, 1996– Herb closed down one of their stores and then took their son on a vacation to Lake Wawasee. Julie noticed at this time all of the money in their accounts had been taken out.
• Detective Wilson picked up the son from the lake-side condominium, but left Herb there.

 

[nancradrew]

Y

Welcome to Ws @nancradrew!
This pic?

Photos of Herbert Richard “Herb” Baumeister -...

Herbert (Herb) Richard Baumeister of Westfield, Indiana was born in Indianapolis on April 7, 1947, to Herbert E. and Elizabeth Baumeister. The elder Herbert was an anesthesiologist and Elizabeth a homemaker. Herb was the oldest of four children. He died on July 3, 1996 in Ontario, Canada of a...

www.findagrave.com

View attachment 566439
Herbert Richard "Herb" Baumeister in his North Central High School Yearbook photo from 1965.

Yes, this and all four years

 

[friendlysleuther]

has anyone seen a yearbook photo of either HB or MG?

new member here pls advise

1963 North Central High School
[Redacted] INVITES
junior high freshmen,[Redacted], Herb Baumeister, and [Redacted] to take a preview of a North Central classroom before they officially enroll in the school the next fall. The orientation pro-gram, sponsored by the Student Council, acquaints first year pupils with the routine of a regular Senior high school day.


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[nancradrew]

He’s the younger one in front

 

[airportwoman]

1963 North Central High School
[Redacted] INVITES
junior high freshmen,[Redacted], Herb Baumeister, and [Redacted] to take a preview of a North Central classroom before they officially enroll in the school the next fall. The orientation pro-gram, sponsored by the Student Council, acquaints first year pupils with the routine of a regular Senior high school day.

View attachment 566559
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View attachment 566542View attachment 566544
(Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe this one is him)

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Actually, Herb is the boy in the plaid shirt, in profile.

 

[friendlysleuther]

Actually, Herb is the boy in the plaid shirt, in profile.

Thank you! I fixed my post