Herb Baumeister Alleged American serial killer Date of Birth: 07.04.1957 Country: Canada

Biography of Herb Baumeister

Herb Baumeister, an alleged American serial killer, was the founder of a successful chain of thrift stores called 'Sav-a-Lot' in the state of Indiana. Born on April 7, 1957, in Westfield, Indiana, Baumeister was the eldest of four children. He had a relatively normal childhood, but as he entered adolescence, his behavior began to take on an antisocial tint. According to acquaintances, young Herbert played with dead animals and urinated on his teacher's desk. Despite being diagnosed with schizophrenia, he did not receive the expected psychiatric treatment.

As he grew older, Baumeister held various jobs, gradually distancing himself from the norms of society. In 1971, he married a woman named Julie, and they had three children together. In 1988, Baumeister opened a successful chain of stores called 'Sav-a-Lot,' which rapidly improved his financial position and earned him respect within the community.

In the early 1990s, investigators from Marion and the Indianapolis Police Department began investigating the disappearances of gay men in the Indianapolis area. In 1993, they contacted an individual who claimed that a regular at a gay bar, who identified himself as Brian Smart, had killed his friend and planned to harm him as well. Detectives told him to contact them if he ever encountered Smart again. In November 1995, this individual provided the authorities with the license plate number of the killer's car, which revealed that Brian Smart was actually Herb Baumeister.

When Baumeister was informed that he was a suspect in the disappearances of gay men and asked for permission to search his home, he adamantly refused. His wife Julie also denied investigators entry into their home. However, by June 1996, Julie became so frightened by her husband's unstable behavior and strange antics that she not only filed for divorce but also agreed to allow a search of their home. While Baumeister was on vacation, the 18-acre estate known as 'Fox Hollow Farm' was thoroughly examined. As a result, the remains of 11 individuals were found on the Baumeister family property, with only 5 being identified.

In addition to the murders committed on the Baumeister estate, Herbert was also suspected in the killings of 9 other men whose bodies were discovered in rural areas along the federal highway between Columbus, Ohio, and Indianapolis. Julie Baumeister informed authorities that her husband had traveled to Ohio over a hundred times, always claiming it was for business purposes.

Baumeister fled to Ontario, where he ended his life by shooting himself in the head at Pinery Provincial Park. In his suicide note, he mentioned that he was taking his own life due to the collapse of his marriage and business. He did not confess to being responsible for the bodies of the men found in his backyard.