Notes:

• Special thank you to Tiny, Marlena, J.S. & Brad of No Nonsense Paranormal for their gracious invite!

• Thank you to the Graves family for allowing their amazing property to be shared & explored.

• This was one for the records, folks. Caught me way off guard. I was blown away by this experience.

Video:

Historic Timeline:

• Former residence of alleged serial killer Herbert Baumeister, 18-acre horse farm property includes 11,000-square-foot Tudor-style homebuilt in 1970s surrounded by horse pastures, dense woods.

• Businessman believed to have strangled young men he met at gay bars, then allegedly buried bodies in a mulch pile in side yard, burned them out back and pulverized the bones. Also reportedly used bones as gravel for yard. (Indianapolis Star, 10/28/2012)

• Baumeister and family residing at the estate for about five years and in process of buying in 1995, when authorities investigating the disappearances of missing men in Indianapolis first approached about searching the property (see below). Baumeister refused interviews and access. Wife Juliana (Julie) said husband’s attorney advised police could not access without warrant. (Indianapolis Star, 11/24/1996)

o Family of one missing man hired private investigator who tracked down friend who told harrowing story of encounter with a “Bryan Stats,” sex partner with fixation on erotica asphyxiation; also said he fought off the man’s advances at the man’s home when he wrapped a pool vacuum hose around his neck from behind. When friends later spotted “Bryan” in restaurant, noted his license plate number and gave to police. Records identified as Herbert Baumeister. (Noblesville Ledger, 2/24/1997)

▪ Ground floor indoor swimming pool believed to have been “playpen,” center of sexual activity. Area was bordered by mannequins. (Indianapolis Star, 11/24/1996)

• Juliana said she did not realize husband frequented gay bars and had sex with other men. Doubtful of activity in pool, claiming would have left splash marks on nearby window that he would not have thought to clean, and she never saw. (Journal and Courier, 11/26/1996)

• While couple divorcing in June 1996, Juliana, on advice of attorney, consented to a search of the property, conducted while husband was on vacation. Someone at residence reportedly had discovered a bone. Juliana still resided at the home with children; Herbert living in Indianapolis. (Noblesville Ledger, 2/24/1997; 7/5/1996)

o Juliana revealed to authorities that teenage son had found a skull on property in 1994, which Baumeister claimed was a specimen that had belonged to his anesthesiologist father. (Noblesville Ledger, 2/24/1997; 3/20/1997)

• Bones and teeth from initially three human bodies found scattered over half-mile in woodsand creekbed area on property in late June 1996, about 60 yards from residence. Discovery of more than one body prompted authorities to suspect foul play and search missing persons list. Some bones also exposed to fire. (Indianapolis News, 6/28/1996)

• Several-day search yielded remains of five adults, remnants of shotgun shells, and pair of handcuffs found on three separate areas of the property; believed to have been buried for nine to 18 months. (Journal and Courier, 7/4/1996)

• Largest concentration of bones, including three left wrists, found on hill. Animals may have carried away some fragments; rain washed away others. Searchers found another concentration of bones 50 yards northwest of house. (The Call-Leader, 7/1/1996)

o Sterling silver ring first piece of personal property discovered at site. (Noblesville Ledger, 5/2/1997)

• Baumeister named as suspect in disappearancesof at least four men whose remains were identified. Several were male prostitutes working gay bars in Indianapolis. If deaths ruled homicide, authorities said fair to assume serial killer responsible. (Indianapolis Star, 9/14/1996)

• Went missing as authorities sought for questioning. Found dead of self-inflicted gunshot wound in Canada.

• Eight male victims eventually identified. Forensic pathologist collected 6,000 bone fragments and concluded bones belonged to at least 11 people, and perhaps as many as 20. (Indianapolis Star, 10/28/2012)

o Identified victims: 

Roger Alan Goodlet, 33; Manuel M. Resendez, 31; Steven S. Hale, 26; Richard D. Hamilton, 20; Johnny Bayer, 20; Allen Wayne Broussard, 28; Jeff Allen Jones, 31; Michael Keirn, 46. (Indianapolis Star, 6/16/1999)

▪ Reportedly used the alias of victim “Michael Keirn” at Indianapolis bars. (Indianapolis Star, 11/24/996) 

• Remains returned to several families for burial after having been kept for identification through DNA tests. (Journal and Courier, 6/11/1999)

• Juliana moved with children to Indianapolis, filed for bankruptcy.

• Property eventually sold in mid-2000s to Rob and Vicki Graves, with silent partner, at reduced price credited to home’s “psychologically affected” status. Governed by state law, sellers of such homes do not have to volunteer information about a property’s grisly past but if asked direct inquiry must divulge. (Indianapolis Star, 10/28/2012)

 

Herbert ‘Herb’ Baumeister 
(aka Brian Smart, Bryan Stats, “The I-70 Strangler”)

• Born in 1947, the oldest of four children of Herbert and Elizabeth Baumeister.

• Reportedly began exhibiting antisocial behavior during adolescence. Diagnosed with schizophrenia with possibly more than one personality as teenager. 

• Married Juliana (Julie) Saiter in 1971; six months later admitted to state psychiatric facility for nearly two months during which was diagnosed with compulsive personality disorder. Juliana later said husband was depressed before hospitalization and was never put on medication. (Indianapolis Star, 11/24/1996)

o Dr. John Nurnberger, professor of psychiatry, said unlikely Baumeister had such an extended stay for just personalitydisorder, calling it “tip of the iceberg.” (Indianapolis Star, 11/24/1996)

• Couple had three children; at time of investigation ages 16, 15, and 11.

• Founded Thrift Management Inc., for-profit organization that operated couple’s thrift store chain Sav-A-Lot in Indianapolis in late 1980s. Stores filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection in August 1996. (Indianapolis Star, 9/15/1996)

• Less than two weeks after discovery of bones on property, found dead at age 49 in park in Ontario, Canada, of self-inflicted gunshot wound to forehead – as victims’ remains were still being unearthed and before authorities could question. Three-page suicide note apologized for spoiling scenery of the park, sorrow at breakup of marriage and business, but did not include mention of the discovery of the bones or confession. (Indianapolis Star, 7/6/1996)

o Police take palm print and fingerprints from corpse in attempt to match print left on culvert by body discovered in Ohio. (Indianapolis Star, 11/24/1996)

o Burial location unknown.

• Authorities uncovered “double life” of Baumeister, who frequented gay bars and led an “unusual lifestyle.” Determined wife and children out of town during time when at least four of the victims disappeared. (Indianapolis Star, 9/14/1996) 

o Reportedly told judge in a 1995 letter that wife was dead and he was a single parent in attempt to get out of two-day drunken-driving sentence in 1995. (Noblesville Ledger, 1/6/1997)

• Believed responsible for deaths of dozens of men and teenage boys over two decades, most commonly by strangulation. Authorities later connected to slayings of nine to 16 in Indiana and Ohio in late 1980s and early 1990s. Victims between ages of 15 and 29 with ties to gay community in Indianapolis whose nude or partially nude bodies were found dumped into shallow streams across central Indiana and western Ohio. (The Tribune, 4/28/1998)

o Suspected victims include: Michael S. Petrie (Petree), 15; Maurice A. Taylor, 22; Michael Andrew Riley, 22; James B. Robbins, 21; Thomas R. Clevenger Jr., 19; Eric Allen Roetiger, 17; Michael Allen Glenn, 29; Steven L. Elliott, 26; Clay Russell Boatman, 32. (Indianapolis Star, 4/28/1998)

▪ Authorities wonder at similarities of death of John Talbot, 27, found in creek in Ohio in 1989; would bring then total of suspected victims to 17.  (Indianapolis News, 5/1/1998)

▪ Remains of unidentified man exhumed from New Albany cemetery to determine if those of Jerry Williams-Comer, another potential victim. (Courier-Journal, 4/29/2008)

o Speculation may have had accomplice or been accomplice to Larry Eyler, sentenced to death for murder and dismemberment of 15-year-old boy in Illinois and confessed to 21 additional homicides. Died of AIDS-related complications in 1994. (Noblesville Ledger, 1/6/1997) Speculation also suggests first murder may have been accidental but released propensity to kill.

Additional sources: 

wikipedia.org; findagrave.com; Radford University Department of Psychology; virtualglobetrotting.com

— Thank you so much to Eunice Specter & your impeccable research!

–Evel Ogilville

For more on Herb Baumeister:

The Hunt For Herb Baumeister — A Paranormal Investigation