Herb Baumeister
Encyclopedia
Herbert Richard "Herb" Baumeister (April 7, 1947 – July 3, 1996) was an alleged American
serial killer
from suburban
Westfield, Indiana
outside of Indianapolis
. Baumeister committed suicide
before he could be brought to trial, and never confessed to the crimes he was alleged to have committed.
behavior; acquaintances later recalled the young Baumeister playing with dead animals and urinating on a teacher's desk. As a teenager, he was diagnosed with schizophrenia
, but did not receive further psychiatric
treatment. As an adult, he drifted through a series of jobs, marked by a strong work ethic, but also by more and increasingly bizarre behavior.
He married in 1971, a union that produced three children. He founded the Sav-a-Lot chain of discount stores in 1988, and quickly became an affluent, well-liked member of the community.
Investigators approached Baumeister, told him he was a suspect in the disappearances, and asked to search his house. When Baumeister refused, investigators confronted his wife, Julie, who also forbade police to search the house. By June 1996, however, Julie Baumeister had become sufficiently frightened by her husband's mood swings and erratic behavior that, after filing for divorce
, she consented to a search. The search of the 18 acres (72,843.5 m²) estate named "Fox Hollow Farm" was conducted while Baumeister was on vacation; it turned up the remains of 11 men, only 5 of whom were ever identified.
Baumeister escaped to Ontario
, where he committed suicide at Pinery Provincial Park
by shooting himself in the head. In his suicide note, he described his failing marriage and business as his reason for killing himself. He did not confess to the murders of the men found in his backyard.
In addition to the murders at his estate, Baumeister is also suspected of killing nine more men, the bodies of whom were found in rural areas along the corridor of Interstate 70
between Columbus, Ohio
and Indianapolis, Indiana
. Julie Baumeister told authorities that her husband made as many as 100 business trips to Ohio, on what he said was store business.
television series The Secret Life of a Serial Killer aired an episode about Baumeister in 1997.
The History Channel featured the case in their "Perfect Crimes" series.
The case was also featured on The Investigators
on TruTV in 2008.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
from suburban
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
Westfield, Indiana
Westfield, Indiana
Westfield is a city in Hamilton County, Indiana, United States. In the year 2010 United States Census, the population was 30,068. Westfield is in the Indianapolis Metropolitan Area.- History :...
outside of Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
. Baumeister committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
before he could be brought to trial, and never confessed to the crimes he was alleged to have committed.
Early life
The oldest of four children, Baumeister's childhood was reportedly normal. By the onset of adolescence, however, he began exhibiting antisocialAnti-Social Behaviour Order
An Anti-Social Behaviour Order or ASBO is a civil order made against a person who has been shown, on the balance of evidence, to have engaged in anti-social behaviour. The orders, introduced in the United Kingdom by Prime Minister Tony Blair in 1998, were designed to correct minor incidents that...
behavior; acquaintances later recalled the young Baumeister playing with dead animals and urinating on a teacher's desk. As a teenager, he was diagnosed with schizophrenia
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social...
, but did not receive further psychiatric
Psychiatry
Psychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the study and treatment of mental disorders. These mental disorders include various affective, behavioural, cognitive and perceptual abnormalities...
treatment. As an adult, he drifted through a series of jobs, marked by a strong work ethic, but also by more and increasingly bizarre behavior.
He married in 1971, a union that produced three children. He founded the Sav-a-Lot chain of discount stores in 1988, and quickly became an affluent, well-liked member of the community.
Investigation
In the early 1990s investigators with the Marion County Sheriff's Department and the Indianapolis Police Department began investigating the disappearances of gay men in the Indianapolis area. In 1993, investigators were contacted by a man claiming that a gay bar patron calling himself "Brian Smart" had killed a friend of his, and had attempted to kill him. The detectives told him to contact them in case he ever saw the man again. In November 1995, he called them and supplied the man's license plate; after checking the license registry, investigators discovered that "Brian Smart" was actually Herb Baumeister.Investigators approached Baumeister, told him he was a suspect in the disappearances, and asked to search his house. When Baumeister refused, investigators confronted his wife, Julie, who also forbade police to search the house. By June 1996, however, Julie Baumeister had become sufficiently frightened by her husband's mood swings and erratic behavior that, after filing for divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
, she consented to a search. The search of the 18 acres (72,843.5 m²) estate named "Fox Hollow Farm" was conducted while Baumeister was on vacation; it turned up the remains of 11 men, only 5 of whom were ever identified.
Baumeister escaped to Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, where he committed suicide at Pinery Provincial Park
Pinery Provincial Park
The Pinery Provincial Park is a park located on Lake Huron near Grand Bend, Ontario. It occupies an area of 25.32 square kilometres ....
by shooting himself in the head. In his suicide note, he described his failing marriage and business as his reason for killing himself. He did not confess to the murders of the men found in his backyard.
In addition to the murders at his estate, Baumeister is also suspected of killing nine more men, the bodies of whom were found in rural areas along the corridor of Interstate 70
Interstate 70
Interstate 70 is an Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from Interstate 15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to a Park and Ride near Baltimore, Maryland. It was the first Interstate Highway project in the United States. I-70 approximately traces the path of U.S. Route 40 east of the Rocky...
between Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
and Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
. Julie Baumeister told authorities that her husband made as many as 100 business trips to Ohio, on what he said was store business.
Media coverage
The A&E NetworkA&E Network
The A&E Network is a United States-based cable and satellite television network with headquarters in New York City and offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, London, Los Angeles and Stamford. A&E also airs in Canada and Latin America. Initially named the Arts & Entertainment Network, A&E launched...
television series The Secret Life of a Serial Killer aired an episode about Baumeister in 1997.
The History Channel featured the case in their "Perfect Crimes" series.
The case was also featured on The Investigators
The Investigators (TruTV series)
The Investigators is a true crime television series that airs on TruTV.The series involves sit-down interviews with the people involved in the investigation of a murder as well as family members of the victim...
on TruTV in 2008.