Victim identified at Fox Hollow farm of suspected killer Herb Baumeister

Lina PortmanJune 6, 2024

1 3 minutes read

Authorities have identified the remains of a man found on a suspected serial killer's farm in Indiana nearly 30 years ago. The remains were among more than 10,000 discovered in 1996, according to authorities.

Some of the remains were identified as those of Jeffrey A. Jones, who last lived in Fillmore, Indiana and was reported missing in August 1993, the Hamilton County Coroner's Office announced on Facebook on May 21.

Jones is the third person identified in the office's “renewed” investigation into remains discovered at Fox Hollow Farm, located in Westfield, about 30 miles north of Indianapolis. The farm was once home to suspected serial killer Herb Baumeister, the coroner's office said.

The first two victims identified in the renewed investigation were Allen Livingston, 27, and Manuel Resendez, 34. The most recently identified remains belonging to Jones were found in 1996.

The coroner's office and the FBI conducted an “extensive forensic genetic genealogy investigation” to identify the remains, the release said.

The office still has four additional DNA profiles to identify, bringing the total number of victims to 12, the coroner's office said. These four DNA profiles will also be sent to the FBI for a genetic genealogy investigation.

“As many remains were found burned and crushed, this investigation is extremely difficult,” Hamilton County Coroner Jeff Jellison said in the news release. “However, the team of law enforcement and forensic specialists working on the case remains engaged.”

Suspected serial killer was businessman who owned thrift stores

Baumeister, the farm's owner, was active from the 1980s until 1996, when he died. That was also the same year that investigators discovered thousands of human remains on the property, according to the Louisville Courier Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network.

Authorities believe he strangled more than a dozen teenagers and men he met in Indianapolis bars. He owned Sav-A-Lot thrift stores and his property was worth more than $2 million, the Courier Journal reported.

Nearly a week after the Hamilton County Sheriff's Department began its investigation into human remains found on his property, Baumeister fled to Canada and committed suicide. He was 49 years old.

Two years after his death, police said they suspected he killed nine other people whose bodies were dumped in waterways along Interstate 70 in central Indiana and western Ohio during the 1980s, the Courier Journal reported.

The Fox Hollow Farm victim was last seen in downtown Indianapolis in August 1993.

After renewing the investigation, the Hamilton County Coroner's Office first identified the remains of one of the victims in October of last year.

Allen Livingston was just 27 years old when he was reported missing in August 1993. He was identified through DNA samples taken at the Indiana State Police laboratory, the Indianapolis Star, part of the USA TODAY Network, in October.

According to Jellison, the county coroner, the office sent 44 samples to state police and Livingston's family was the first to submit samples to help with the investigation.

Livingston was last seen in downtown Indianapolis. His remains were buried at Fox Hollow Farm and found in June 1996.

Livingston's cousin, Eric Pranger, submitted a DNA sample from Livingston's mother to the coroner because he believed his cousin might be a victim. He was 6 years old when his cousin disappeared. He didn't know him well, but he wanted to investigate because Livingston's mother had been diagnosed with terminal cancer.

“I’m a ball of emotion right now,” he said at the time. “I am happy and sad. Glad he was identified and sad this happened.

Livingston's mother was often sad during the holidays and losing her son devastated her, the Indy Star reported.

The second victim identified by authorities is Manuel Resendez, who was 34 when he disappeared in 1996, the Indy Star reported in January.

He was identified thanks to his dental records.

Jellison, of the Hamilton County Coroner's Office, thanked several agencies for the most recent identification, including the FBI, the Indiana State Police Laboratory, Krista Latham of the Department of Biology and Anthropology from the University of Indianapolis and DNA experts from the Texas-based Othram Laboratory. .

Contributor: Krista Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal; Indy star John Tuohy

Lina Portman

Related Articles

Swiss police identify storm victim found in Ticino canton

Fresno budget proposals raise concerns about funding and fire response

Vancouver Chinatown stabbing victim identified as local chef – AsAmNews

Missoula man convicted of gun and drug charges