Wikipedia
the man
Herbert Baumeister was born on April 7, 1947 in Indianapolis, Indiana. By all accounts, Baumeister’s childhood was relatively normal.[1]Jerome, Richard. “While Julie Was Away.” People, 23 Dec. 1986, https://people.com/archive/while-julie-was-away-vol-46-no-26/. However, as an adolescent, he reportedly began exhibiting some rather odd behavior, such as a fascination with dead animals and urinating on one of his teacher’s desks. In high school, he was diagnosed with schizophrenia.[2]Albert, Natasha, et al. “Herb Baumeister: ‘The I-70 Strangler’ .” Department of Psychology, PDF, Radford University.
After high school, Baumeister drifted from college to college, and then from job to job. It is said that he had a strong work ethic, but his behavior became increasingly odd.[3]Labalme, Jerry. “Businessman Puzzled People in Life and Death.” The Indianapolis Star, 13 Nov. 1986, p. 41–49. In 1971, Baumeister married his wife Julie and with her had three children. Their marriage wasn’t free from issues, however. In the 1970s, Baumeister’s father had him committed to a psychatric. She also claimed that during the 25+ years of marriage, the couple had only been intimate six times.[4]Albert, Natasha, et al. “Herb Baumeister: ‘The I-70 Strangler’ .” Department of Psychology, PDF, Radford University.
In the mid-1980s, the couple purchased the first of what would be three Sav-A-Lot thrift stores, not to be confused with the grocery store chain. For a time, the stores were quite successful. But the stress and financial strain of running the stores had an impact on the marriage until Baumeister filed for divorce in 1991 and moved out of the family home. They quickly reconciled, however, and bought a small estate called Fox Hollow Farm. An idyllic place… for awhile. In truth, what Julie didn’t know was that her husband was regularly involved in the gay nightlife in Indianapolis, particularly in the summer months when Julie and her children would vacation at a lakeside condo north of the city.[5]Jerome, Richard. “While Julie Was Away.” People, 23 Dec. 1986, https://people.com/archive/while-julie-was-away-vol-46-no-26/.
the investigation
In May of 1993, gay men began to disappear in Indianapolis, as many as ten in only two years. Police investigated, but there were very few leads. In the fall of 1994, Baumeister’s thirteen-year-old son brought home a human skull that he’d found in the woods around their home. Julie had him lead her to where he’d found it, where she found a cluster of bones. Horrified, she told her husband what they had discovered, but he brushed aside her anxiety, telling her that they were the remains of a medical school skeleton that his late father, an anesthesiologist, had owned. At the time, she accepted his explanation without question.[6]Jerome, Richard. “While Julie Was Away.” People, 23 Dec. 1986, https://people.com/archive/while-julie-was-away-vol-46-no-26/.
During this same time, a man told investigators about a man named Brian he’d met that summer. Brian had taken him to his home, where Brian coerced the unnamed man into engaging autoerotic asphyxia. The unnamed man had been shaken by the event. Almost a year later, the man saw Brian, and now aware of the disappearances, noted the license-plate number. It was Baumeister’s vehicle.[7]Jerome, Richard. “While Julie Was Away.” People, 23 Dec. 1986, https://people.com/archive/while-julie-was-away-vol-46-no-26/.
In November of the same year, the police arrived at Fox Hollow Farm, requesting permission to search the property. Baumeister refused. Because the police did not have enough evidence to secure a warrant, they contacted Julie. They told her that there was evidence that he had been living a hidden life, as he cruised the gay clubs. Julie didn’t believe them, and when she confronted her husband, believed his denials. A few months later, when investigators approached her again, she continued to deny their accusations. But in truth, she’d begun to question whether or not the accusations were true, remembering the skull her son had found in the woods. Finally, she acquiesed and allowed the police to search the property when her husband was away.[8]Jerome, Richard. “While Julie Was Away.” People, 23 Dec. 1986, https://people.com/archive/while-julie-was-away-vol-46-no-26/.
During the two-week search, police found hundreds of bones. The remains of seven individual men were discovered, but only four of them were able to be identified. All of the men had frequented the same gay bars as Baumeister.[9]Jerome, Richard. “While Julie Was Away.” People, 23 Dec. 1986, https://people.com/archive/while-julie-was-away-vol-46-no-26/.
the punishment
There will be no punishment, no justice served. The day after investigators began searching his property, Baumeister disappeared. Eight days later, campers found his body on the ground beside his car in a park in Ontario. He’d shot himself in the forehead, leaving behind a three-page suicide note. In it, he apologized for his family’s financial issues but pointedly mentioned nothing about the crimes he was suspected of committing.[10]Jerome, Richard. “While Julie Was Away.” People, 23 Dec. 1986, https://people.com/archive/while-julie-was-away-vol-46-no-26/.
the weird
It seems that Baumeister had some bizarre decorating styles, and oddly his wife didn’t seem to mind. The pool area of the family home was decorated with mannequins. They were posed in such a way as to appear to be having a pool party.[11]Greenfest, Sara. “10 Gruesome Murder Cases You’ve Probably Never Heard of.” Insider, 17 Apr. 2018, https://www.insider.com/strange-murder-cases-not-heard-of-2018-4.
Leave a Reply