Victim Identification Effort
Fox Hollow Murders
Author: Kristine Crouch, CODIS State Administrator/CODIS Assistant TL, Indiana State Police Forensic Services Division
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A Coroner’s Mission
In 1996, investigators made horrific discoveries at Fox Hollow Farm in Westfield, Indiana. The 18 acre property belonged to Herbert Baumeister, a suspected serial killer who took his own life shortly after a warrant was issued for his arrest. More than 10,000 bones and bone fragments were found scattered across the grounds.
Recovery was performed by the University of Indianapolis and a limited number of samples were sent for mitochondrial testing. Individual bones of eight victims were identified. The victims were men, most of whom had last been seen at gay bars in central Indiana.
The vast majority of the remains were then placed in boxes and stored at the University.
Hamilton County Coroner Jeff Jellison, elected in 2022, launched a renewed effort to identify the victims of the Fox Hollow murders. Motivated by a commitment to provide “as much closure for as many families as possible,” he partnered with the ISP Biology Section, the Human Identification Center (HIC) at the University of Indianapolis, and other experts to apply modern DNA methods to the recovered remains.
The ISP Laboratory in Indianapolis agreed to coordinate the overall effort.
Daunting Logistics
The team faced a situation similar to a large-scale mass disaster: highly fragmented, commingled remains and an unknown number of decedents. The plan was to use standard STR analysis (Fusion 6C and Y23) to group fragments belonging to the same individual, then select the strongest sample from each person for potential further testing, as needed.
To move forward, we needed STR profiles from family reference samples, including relatives of the eight known victims, since they would be present in the assemblage. Coroner Jellison led a public outreach campaign, seeking anyone with a loved one who had gone missing during that era, while ISP’s cold case detectives conducted targeted collections of the known or suspected victims’ relatives.
The ISP Lab already had DBLR software (PHF Science) but had never used its databasing functions. They validated that module specifically for this project. Thresholds were set at six loci to determine whether two samples came from the same person and eight loci to compare remains to family reference samples.
For remains, every newly observed STR profile was assigned an Individual number, and a spreadsheet tracked each sample’s status, including its completeness, CODIS entry (one per Individual), additional testing (such as FIGG or mitochondrial sequencing), and any resulting identifications.
For references, each family received its own case number in LIMS so identifications could be reported independently of all other samples.
Taking Advantage of the Whole Toolbox
These samples posed significant challenges: they were roughly 30 years old, many were burned to varying degrees, and most were only small fragments. To maximize the chances of identification, we intended to apply every suitable DNA technology available.
Funding was secured for forensic genealogy in anticipation of individuals where STR comparisons or CODIS searches produced no identification. Partnerships were established with Othram for SNP and genealogical analysis, and with the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification for mitochondrial testing on both unidentified remains and family reference samples.
Dr. Latham, a Board Certified Forensic Anthropologist and Director of the HIC at the University of Indianapolis, selected remains based on their condition and likelihood of yielding DNA, submitting batches of the strongest candidates to ISP.
Collaboration Achieves Results
The team has made significant progress through these coordinated efforts across multiple laboratories and partners. A total of 175 remains have been submitted for testing, and STR analysis has been completed on 139 of them, with 76% yielding a DNA profile. Eleven remains were tested at UNT for combined STR and mitochondrial testing, and a total of 6 were forwarded to Othram for forensic genetic genealogy. To date, 2 of the 8 individuals identified in the original 1990s analysis have not yet been re‑identified through current testing, 2 previously unidentified victims have been discovered, and one STR profile is still an unknown decedent.
Because the total number of victims is unknown, this will be a long‑term project. The work will only be considered complete once all samples in reasonable condition have been evaluated and every viable profile has been extracted. Coroner Jellison also recognized the emotional impact of repeated identifications. He met individually with each family to discuss their wishes regarding the return of remains. Some families chose to receive their loved one’s remains only once so they could hold final services without future disruptions.
For remains that cannot be returned—whether because no identification is made, DNA could not be recovered, or the family chose not to receive additional remains—a memorial and ossuary in Westfield, created in partnership with the organization He Knows Your Name, provides a respectful final resting place.
Acknowledgement
We extend our gratitude to Coroner Jellison, Dr. Latham, the ISP Missing and Unidentified Team, the dedicated scientists at UNT and Othram, the genealogists, and He Knows Your Name for their compassionate support. Above all, we honor the victims and their families, who have lived with this tragedy for thirty years and still found the strength to provide DNA samples in pursuit of truth and closure. We pledge to continue this work for as long as it takes to provide answers to as many families as possible.