WESTFIELD, Ind. — Decades after investigators unearthed thousands of human bones and bone fragments at the compound of a suspected Indiana serial killer, labs are solving a long-standing mystery: Who are they? A new search is underway to solve this problem.
a new team Researchers working to identify the unidentified dead say the key to success is getting relatives of men who disappeared from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s to provide their own DNA samples. are.
These samples can be screened for: DNA profile Scientists have been extracting the remains discovered since 1996 on Herbert Baumeister's vast estate outside Indianapolis.
Initial investigators said at least 25 bones were found at Baumeister's 18-acre (7.3-hectare) Fox Hollow Farm estate in Westfield, based on evidence that included 10,000 bones and bone fragments, handcuffs and shotgun shells. believed that a person was buried there.
Baumeister, a 49-year-old thrift store owner and married father of three, committed suicide in Canada in July 1996 before he could be questioned by police, leaving many secrets behind, including the names of his possible victims. I brought it home.
Investigators believe Baumeister, who frequented gay bars in Indianapolis, lured the men to his home while his family was on vacation, where he murdered and buried them.
By the late 1990s, authorities had identified eight men using dental records and available DNA technology. But those efforts have since been halted, even though at least 17 bodies may still remain unidentified.
Hamilton County Coroner Jeff Jellison said a new identification effort revealed that county officials at the time decided not to fund additional DNA testing, which would have led to “the victim's “Further efforts to identify the person were effectively halted and the cost of investigating the murder was placed on the families of the missing persons.” ”
“I can't speak for the investigators, but it was just game over,” Jellison said.
unfinished business
Decades later, the bones and fragments were stored in a box at the University of Indianapolis' Human Identification Center, where staff helped exhume the remains.
Things changed after Eric Plunger sent Jellison a Facebook message in late 2022. The Indianapolis man's family had long believed that Baumeister's victims included his older cousin, Allen Livingston.
Livingston was 27 years old when she went missing in August 1993 after getting into someone else's car in downtown Indianapolis. Three years later, after hearing about Baumeister, her mother, Sharon Livingston, and other relatives began to suspect that Allen, who was bisexual, was among the dead.
As Mr. Jellison was about to take office, Mr. Plunger asked if he could help get some answers for his aunt, who had serious health problems.
“How do you say no to that? It's our job as statutory coroners to identify the deceased,” Jellison said.
In late 2022, police took DNA samples from Sharon Livingston and one of her daughters. Jellison began working with a team that included the Indiana State Police, FBI, Human Identification Center, local law enforcement, and private companies specializing in crime. Forensic genetic genealogy.
family comes to an end
Staff at the Human Identification Center, where remains are kept in a temperature- and humidity-controlled space, selected some of the most promising bones for DNA analysis.
At the Indiana State Police Laboratory, scientists cut out sections of bone, frozen them in liquid nitrogen and ground them into a fine powder. They then used heat and chemicals to destroy the bone cells as a first step to extract the complete DNA profile.
Almost a year after hearing from Plunger, Jellison announced in October 2023: Baumeister's 9th victim The person identified was Allen Livingston.
Sharon Livingston finally has some closure. She passed away in November 2024.
“I was happy to be able to do this for my aunt,” said Plunger, 34. “I was the one who made it possible for her to bring her son home for the first time in 30 years, and I felt honored.”
“After Allen was identified, I was very excited, but after the fact I asked myself, 'Now what?' I had an answer, but what about the rest of the family?” Plunger said. added.
other victims
Jellison said about 40 DNA samples have been submitted by people who believe their missing male relatives may have been killed by Baumeister. He said they are being entered into the FBI's Combined DNA Index System. or CODISbut is used It is only for the purpose of identifying the missing person.
The coroner and his partners hope to obtain more DNA samples from relatives of men who disappeared across the country from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s. They noted the men may have been traveling and stopped in Indianapolis to visit friends or sample the nightlife.
To date, scientists have identified eight unique DNA profiles (all male) from more than 70 of the more than 100 bones sent to the Indiana State Police Laboratory by Human Identification Center Director Dr. Krista Latham. was extracted.
One of the DNA samples provided by Livingston's mother and sister was a match. Of the eight men originally identified in the 1990s, four matched Jeffrey Jones. Manuel Rezendes Johnny Bayer and Richard Hamilton.
Three other DNA profiles have not yet been identified and two are still being tested. With these three, Baumeister's estimated number of victims has increased to 12.
What's next?
Jellison and his partners say the identification work could take several more years to complete.
Most of the bones had been crushed and burned, reducing the chances of yielding usable DNA. Latham, a professor of biology and anthropology, said the hope is that bone fragments determined to be in poor condition are withheld from the destructive testing process. Future DNA technology You can uncover their secrets.
She noted that some men may have been estranged or ostracized by relatives because of their sexuality. When they disappeared, no one may have noticed.
“These are people who have been marginalized in life, and we just need to make sure that doesn't continue after death,” Latham said.
For the ongoing study, Jellison has obtained DNA reference samples from relatives of seven of the eight men first identified in the 1990s. The eighth man, Stephen Hale, was adopted, but efforts to find biological relatives have so far been unsuccessful, the coroner said.
Relatives of missing men who wish to provide a family DNA reference sample to help identify the remains may contact the Indiana State Police Missing Persons Hotline at 833-466-2653 or the Hamilton County Coroner's Office at 317-770. 4415).
Memorial to the victims
Once the remains are identified piece by piece, the family can choose to have the remains cremated and buried in a memorial that will be dedicated in Westfield in August. It contains a plaque with the names of the nine identified victims, and room for more.
Linda Znachko, an Indianapolis-based nonprofit volunteer he knows your nameHe paid for the monument and said at the monument's unveiling that the identification drive “will honor those who lost their lives in the Fox Hollow tragedy.” The remains of Livingston and Jeffrey Jones were added to the memorial's columbarium, and a white dove was released during the dedication ceremony.
Livingston's sister, Shannon Doty, attended along with several relatives, including Plunger. She said despite the tragic end, she was relieved to finally know what happened to her brother.
“At least you know,” said Doughty, 46. “Fear of the unknown is the worst, right? Just knowing can bring up all sorts of emotions. You wanted to know, but you didn't want to know. But you needed to know. .”
