A Difficult Post: Respecting Victims Amidst the Paranormal

This post is a difficult one—both as a paranormal investigator and ITC researcher with a conscience. I’ve often discussed the fine line between speculation, intention, and the need for solid data when presenting the supernatural. But when the subject involves horrific tragedies, like those at the hands of serial killers Herb Baumeister and Larry Eyler, it’s important to tread even more carefully. Both men terrorized the gay community in the ‘80s and ‘90s, and I feel an added responsibility when discussing such events to avoid exploitation. Respect for the victims must always come first.

What We Know for Certain About Herb Baumeister

So, what do we know for sure? Herb Baumeister was a deeply disturbed individual who preyed on gay men and teenagers. He used the 501 Eagle in Indianapolis to find victims, committing unspeakable acts at his former residence, Fox Hollow Farm. Beyond that, unexplainable paranormal phenomena have been reported at both locations. Are they conclusively connected on a spiritual level? I can’t say for certain, but the audio recordings from our ITC sessions at the 501 suggest that Herb may have left his mark there. During these sessions, we captured EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomena) that seemed to directly reference the dark history of the location, leaving us with more questions than answers.

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Honoring the Victims, Not the Killer

This post is a tribute to the victims, not to Herb or any other monster. My hope is that if any spirits do return to the old 501 Eagle, it’s by their own choice—a visit to a place that once brought them joy and community. We ultimately know very little about ghosts, spirits, or how the afterlife operates—if it even exists. But what we do know for certain is that the men who frequented the 501 Eagle were real, flesh-and-blood people with vibrant lives. If the brick and mortar of the 501 holds their fond memories, then may they live on there forever, in peace. Regardless of how the old 501 chooses to speak, may we always listen to remember their lives, not just their tragic ends.

A Memorial for the Victims of Fox Hollow Farm

In August 2024, a long-overdue memorial to the Fox Hollow Farm victims of Herb Baumeister was placed within Hamilton Memorial Park Cemetery. This limestone monument now stands in honor of the many young men who tragically lost their lives. This memorial serves as a solemn tribute, offering a place of reflection for those impacted by Baumeister’s crimes. It’s an important step toward recognizing their suffering and ensuring they are never forgotten.

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Honoring My Friend, Jason L. Ammerman

It is with a heavy heart that I also share the loss of my dear friend Jason L. Ammerman, who passed away on August 25, 2024. Jason was born on July 20, 1973, and was not only one of the finest poets to ever walk the streets of Indianapolis, but a dedicated amateur historian of the city. He often said his roots lie somewhere between James Whitcomb Riley, Etheridge Knight, Miles Davis, and KISS. Jason was proud of his Indiana heritage, and to me, he was a brother.

We met in 2007 and soon began performing spoken word together as The Reservoir Dogwoods with fellow Hoosier poets Joseph Kerschbaum and Tony Brewer. Jason loved a good ghost story—I believe that, for him, ghosts were poetry. Over the years, we shared many paranormal conversations and adventures. When he began working at the remodeled building that was the old 501 Eagle and experienced strange phenomena, he was both intrigued and unnerved. He wanted to connect with the place, but in a sincere, respectful way—never in a sensational manner. In fact, our first visit there together didn’t even mention serial killers.

Jason passed just days before the memorial for the Fox Hollow Farm victims was placed. I know Jason would have approved of that memorial, just as he graciously contributed a beautiful tribute poem to these men before his own passing. It’s an honor to include his work here. Jason will be deeply missed. May they all rest in peace.

Respectfully,

Evel Ogilville

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PEARL BEFORE SWINE

Dedicated to the memory of the victims of Herb Baumeister and his murderous spree, known and unknown

We speak of dark things
The attractive
The taboo
Their names are left of
Tongues dried
Wilted

These flowers
Dead in their stems
Their aromas staled

And we are left
Exalting murder as a sitcom
To watch
Tasteless
Drowning in the phantasmagoria of flickering images
Faces of the hopeless
Trapped in cells

This was their happy place
But no more

We embrace the dark things
The teeth that gnash at skin
Revealing the meat beneath
These men
Their names like Robert or William or Unknown
Their bones covered just enough to not attract attention
For many years
Just underneath the soil
Disturbed
We are
This is
Disturbing

The method is no different than most predators
Lure/love/then kill
Lure/love/then kill
Leaving them breathless
Empty husks
The taboo

And we are mocked for wanting to help
Dirty phrases
Echoed through empty rooms and we
Red in the face
Do not offer our names lurking
An attempt to be respectful of
Shadows blatantly rubbing against
Bodies
They have no bodies
Just bones
And names
Forgotten
No consequence for the actions of
Lure/love/then kill

There was a time for
These beautiful creatures
Their sensitivity finding a home
Within these walls
To safely exist
To be open of who they are
At a time when being open meant death

The irony is not lost here

We embrace the dark things
Trying to make sense of it all
What does it mean to love?
What does love look like?
A shadow peering from the corners
A voice sighing in the lower decibels
What does love?

There are faces here
Watching from other dimensions
Consensual sex and paying for it through
Asphyxiated
Left breathless
Alone
Forgotten
Names or no names

There are faces here
Victims of change and denial of epidemics

It can’t happen here
This is America
This is the land of the free
Except this
Life
Style
Lure/love/then kill

We embrace the dark things
Until it becomes personal

I have spent many moments with these ghosts
Their frustration imparted upon my soul
Their anguish flickering lights
Their anger banging walls and slamming doors
Wanting to set fire to these bricks
It is dark and things are not of the sense that
We make out of it for
We will never know what it was like

The final breaths manipulated by a predator
Be they human or
A virus or
Cancer or
Loneliness

The predator is always in the wings
Fuck you for stealing these breaths
That is from them
Your victims

Fuck you for being a monster
A fake
A wanna be
A teddy bear manufactured of money

Fuck you for not caring enough to leave them
For families to bury
You stole that simple dignity
After stealing their dignity in being who they were
Through a spell cast as a false sense of security

They say to never cast pearls before swine
But nonetheless
These pearls will never have the joy
Of being cast in an awestruck appearance
Of being in love forever

The swine stole them
The pearls
But we are here to steal the swine back
To offer the pearls a beautiful home

This is from them
Your victims
They are here
You are outside
Not allowed in
They are protected
By us
The living
Who want to rectify
The acts of the past
The misery they feel
Is not on you tenfold
In hell

Herb, rot in hell!
This is from them

© 2021 Jason L. Ammerman

Notes:

Special thank you to Richard Estep and his book The Horrors of Fox Hollow Farm.

I recently came across this article, which I also found enjoyable:

Tales From the Underworld

Was Herb Baumeister the Notorious I-70 Strangler? Compelling Evidence Indicates He Likely Was

Early Life and Troubles…

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2 years ago · 1 like · Kirsten Ford

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Strange Occurrences: Paranormal Investigation at 501 Eagle

When my friend Jason Ammerman mentioned he was experiencing strange occurrences in a newly renovated business, I was immediately intrigued. As someone deeply involved in the paranormal, I couldn’t resist the chance to explore what might be behind the disembodied voices, footsteps echoing in empty corridors, and shadowy figures glimpsed from the corner of his eye—these were not just any run-of-the-mill disturbances. These are classic claims of paranormal activity. The location in question? The 501 Eagle, a former gay bar in Indianapolis housed in a historic building that has seen its fair share of life… and, unfortunately, death.

A Haunted History: Tragic Deaths at the 501 Eagle Building

The Eagle’s building, constructed around 1900, carries with it the weight of more than a century of history. Originally, it served as a pharmacy, witnessing the comings and goings of countless locals over the decades, with records as early as 1894 mentioning Smith H. Mapes and later, Lender’s Pharmacy. Before the current structure, a one-story double residence occupied the lot, perhaps hinting at an even older, more storied past. This place has seen it all—multiple robberies, a few fires, and even a death. Wallie Roberts, a man who met his end in 1941 from a heart attack while in the drugstore, may still linger in the ether of that address. Interestingly enough, during one of our sessions, the name “Robbie” came through the Andy’s Box at exactly the 4:10 mark in the video. Could this be a nickname, a ghostly echo of Roberts?

Video:

The building later transitioned into a tavern known as the M & M Tavern, operated by Tewfik Hallal until his death in 1969. Though Hallal passed away in the hospital, his time at the tavern might have left a residual imprint.

Herb Baumeister and Larry Eyler: Serial Killers at 501 Eagle

What I didn’t know at the time of my investigation—and what now sends a chill down my spine—was that the 501 Eagle was also a hunting ground during a particularly dangerous time in Indianapolis’s history, frequented by not just one, but two notorious serial killers. Both Herb Baumeister and Larry Eyler are believed to have stalked their unsuspecting victims in this very bar.

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Herb Baumeister, active in the late 1980s and early 1990s, was responsible for the deaths of at least 11 men—though the real number is likely higher. Many of his victims were lured from gay bars in Indianapolis, with the 501 Eagle being one of his known haunts. Baumeister’s modus operandi involved inviting men back to his home under the guise of a party, where they were ultimately murdered. The bodies of his victims were later discovered buried in a mulch pile on his property at Fox Hollow Farm. His story came to light in 1996 when, after the discovery of human remains on his property, Baumeister fled to Canada and committed suicide before he could be apprehended.

What’s eerie is that I had previously visited Fox Hollow Farm, unaware at the time that my path would lead me back into the dark web that Herb had spun. This investigation at the 501 Eagle was building up to my next visit there—a visit that would yield some of the darkest and saddest messages I’ve ever documented in my years of ITC research.

Larry Eyler, known as the “Interstate Killer,” was another predator who stalked his victims in the same era. Eyler was convicted of the 1984 murder of a 15-year-old boy, but his crimes likely spanned much further, with authorities believing he may have killed as many as 23 young men across multiple states. Eyler’s predation tactic was similar—he picked up men from bars, including the 501 Eagle, before brutally murdering them. Eyler’s reign of terror came to an end in 1994 when he died of AIDS-related complications while on death row.

ITC Sessions at 501 Eagle: Evidence of the Paranormal

Given all this, it’s no wonder my friend was starting to think this place was haunted. To help him get to the bottom of things—or at least to see if we could catch anything on tape—I set up a few ITC sessions in the space. Armed with a Frank’s Box, Andy’s Box B-2, the Lear Geobox, and an ITC app, we aimed to connect the building’s past reputation to the phenomena being observed in the present.

The results were… interesting. ITC sessions yielded some compelling audio, with the relevancy of names and sometimes explicit phrases that came through making us pause more than once. At the very least, they added fuel to the growing speculation that the past and present at the 501 Eagle are more intertwined than we can fully comprehend—a mystery that continues to unfold as my research into this dark legacy presses on.

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Historical Notes:

- Construction and Early Use: The building, recorded as built circa 1900, may have been constructed even earlier. It originally served as a pharmacy, with early records from 1894. Before this, a one-story double residence occupied the lot.

- Notable Incidents: Multiple robberies, a few fires, and at least two recorded deaths—Wallie Roberts, who died of a heart attack in 1941 while in the pharmacy, and Tewfik Hallal, who passed away in 1969 after owning the M & M Tavern.

- Potential Hauntings: During the ITC session, the name “Robbie” was recorded on Andy’s Box at 4:10 in the video. Could this refer to Wallie Roberts? It’s something to ponder.

- Herb Baumeister Connection: Unbeknownst to me during the investigation, the 501 Eagle was a place frequented by serial killer Herb Baumeister in the late 80s and early 90s. His presence adds an unsettling layer to the building’s history. My investigation at the 501 Eagle ultimately led to a return visit, where I recorded some of the darkest and saddest messages in my ITC research.

- Larry Eyler Connection: Similar to Baumeister, Larry Eyler also frequented the 501 Eagle. Eyler, known as the “Interstate Killer,” targeted young men from gay bars, including the Eagle, during his killing spree in the 1980s.

References

• Redd, Wyatt. “Herb Baumeister: The Serial Killer Who Found Victims In Gay Bars.” All That’s Interesting, 2023.

• “Larry Eyler: The Disturbing Tale of the Highway Killer.” Simply Forensic, 2023.

• “Project Preserves Rich History of LGBTQ+ Bars in Indianapolis.” WTHR, 2023.

• Estep, Richard. The Horrors of Fox Hollow Farm: Unraveling the History & Hauntings of a Serial Killer’s Home. Llewellyn Publications, 2019.

Unearthing the Dark Secrets of Fox Hollow Farm

Tucked deep in the shadowy woods of Indiana, Fox Hollow Farm carries a weight far heavier than its trees and grounds. Once a serene estate, it became the chilling playground of serial killer Herb Baumeister in the 1990s. The air here feels thick with the past—an uneasy energy that seems to hum beneath the surface. In a cruel twist of fate, animals scattered the remains of Baumeister’s victims across the property, leaving behind fragments of lives unjustly stolen. Today, this place remains haunted not just by death, but by something far more active.

Investigators frequently report unsettling encounters with a dark figure lurking in the woods, watching from the shadows, as if still guarding the secrets of Fox Hollow Farm. The estate has since become a chilling beacon for those who dare to seek answers about the spirits trapped here—spirits that seem far more aware than residual echoes of the past.

Baumeister’s Grisly Legacy: Hauntings Beyond the Grave

In the late 1980s, young men began vanishing from Indianapolis’s gay bars. Behind the facade of a seemingly ordinary life, Herb Baumeister hid a monstrous secret. Authorities eventually linked him to over 20 murders, but by the time the truth emerged, Baumeister had fled to Canada, taking his own life. His evil, however, seems to have left an indelible stain on Fox Hollow Farm, where the remains of many victims were unearthed.

This investigation, thanks to the support of No Nonsense Paranormal and the generosity of the Graves family, allowed me to step into the thick of that dark history. Special thanks to Tiny, Marlena, J.S., and Brad for their invaluable help in exploring this eerie location.

Chilling Encounters: Ghosts of Fox Hollow Farm

Paranormal investigators and psychics report supernatural phenomena at Fox Hollow Farm, from temperature drops to disembodied voices. EVPs captured near the pool, where many of Baumeister’s victims perished, reveal chilling whispers and faint cries for help. The responses seem conscious, reacting to investigators in real time, hinting at something beyond residual hauntings.

My personal experience at Fox Hollow Farm left me speechless. After years of investigations, the sheer intensity of the paranormal encounters here was undeniable.

The Paranormal Evidence Unfolds

From the moment we arrived, we felt an overwhelming sense of something unseen surrounding us. Investigators frequently report temperature drops and disembodied voices, but near the pool, where many of Baumeister’s victims died, we captured chilling EVPs. These voices didn’t merely linger—they responded directly to us, as if they were aware of our presence.

I’ve visited many haunted locations, but this experience was uniquely unsettling. The energy at Fox Hollow Farm was unlike anything I’ve encountered—gripping, intense, and unquestionably real.

Reflections on the Haunting: Lessons from Fox Hollow Farm

Fox Hollow Farm is more than just a haunting—it’s a place where violence and loss left a permanent scar on the landscape. The lingering energy here seems to beg for answers, for closure, as if Baumeister’s darkness still grips the souls of those who suffered at his hands. But are these spirits seeking justice, or simply unable to leave the place where their lives ended?

One thing is clear: Fox Hollow Farm’s dark legacy will continue to intrigue and haunt our psyches for years to come.

Call to Action

Be sure to check out the video below, and don’t forget to subscribe for more investigations into my hunt for Herb Baumeister!

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Historic Timeline:

• 1970s: Alleged serial killer Herbert Baumeister resides at an 18-acre horse farm in Indiana. The property includes an 11,000-square-foot Tudor-style home, surrounded by horse pastures and dense woods.

• 1980s-1990s: Baumeister, a businessman, is believed to have strangled young men he met at gay bars. He allegedly buried their bodies in a mulch pile on the property, burned them out back, and pulverized the bones. Some reports suggest he even used the bones as gravel in his yard (Indianapolis Star, 28 Oct. 2012).

• 1994: Baumeister’s teenage son discovers a human skull on the property, which Baumeister claims belonged to his anesthesiologist father as a specimen (Noblesville Ledger, 24 Feb. 1997; 20 Mar. 1997).

• 1995: The Baumeister family is in the process of buying the estate. When authorities begin investigating the disappearances of missing men in Indianapolis, Baumeister refuses interviews and denies police access to the property. His wife, Juliana (Julie), says her husband’s attorney advised that police could not enter without a warrant (Indianapolis Star, 24 Nov. 1996).

• June 1996: As the Baumeisters are divorcing, Juliana consents to a search of the property while her husband is on vacation. Someone at the residence reportedly discovered a bone. Juliana, still residing at the home with her children, tells authorities she was unaware of her husband’s activities (Noblesville Ledger, 24 Feb. 1997; 5 July 1996).

• Late June 1996: Authorities discover bones and teeth from three human bodies scattered over a half-mile area in the woods and creek bed on the property, about 60 yards from the residence. Some bones show signs of having been exposed to fire (Indianapolis News, 28 June 1996).

• July 1996: A thorough search yields the remains of five adults, remnants of shotgun shells, and a pair of handcuffs. These were found in three separate areas on the property. It is believed that some of the remains had been buried for nine to 18 months (Journal and Courier, 4 July 1996).

• July 1996: Baumeister is found dead in Ontario, Canada, from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, less than two weeks after the discovery of the bones on his property. His three-page suicide note apologizes for spoiling the park scenery but does not mention the bones or include a confession (Indianapolis Star, 6 July 1996).

• 1996-2012: Authorities identify the remains of nine male victims, concluding that the bones belonged to at least 12 people and possibly as many as 25. Identified victims include Roger Alan Goodlet, Manuel M. Resendez, Steven S. Hale, Richard D. Hamilton, Johnny Bayer, Allen Wayne Broussard, Jeff Allen Jones, and Michael Keirn (Indianapolis Star, 28 Oct. 2012).

• Reportedly used the alias of victim “Michael Keirn” at Indianapolis bars (Indianapolis Star, 24 Nov. 1996).

• Mid-2000s: The property is sold to Rob and Vicki Graves, along with a silent partner, at a reduced price due to its “psychologically affected” status. Indiana state law requires sellers to disclose such information if directly asked (Indianapolis Star, 28 Oct. 2012).

• 2023 Update: Allen Livingston added to list of identified victims.

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Herbert ‘Herb’ Baumeister

(aka Brian Smart, Bryan Stats, “The I-70 Strangler”):

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

• Adolescence: Exhibits antisocial behavior and is diagnosed with schizophrenia, possibly with more than one personality.

• 1971: Marries Juliana (Julie) Saiter. Six months later, Baumeister is admitted to a state psychiatric facility for nearly two months and is diagnosed with compulsive personality disorder (Indianapolis Star, 24 Nov. 1996).

• 1980s: The couple founds Thrift Management Inc., operating the Sav-A-Lot thrift store chain in Indianapolis. The stores file for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection in August 1996 (Indianapolis Star, 15 Sept. 1996).

• 1980s-1990s: Baumeister is believed to be responsible for the deaths of dozens of men and teenage boys, most commonly by strangulation. Authorities later connect him to slayings in Indiana and Ohio during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Victims are typically found nude or partially nude in shallow streams across central Indiana and western Ohio (The Tribune, 28 Apr. 1998).

• 1995: Baumeister writes a letter to a judge falsely claiming that his wife is dead and that he is a single parent in an attempt to avoid a two-day drunken-driving sentence (Noblesville Ledger, 6 Jan. 1997).

• July 1996: Less than two weeks after the discovery of human remains on his property, Baumeister is found dead at age 49 in a park in Ontario, Canada, from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the forehead. At the time of his death, victims’ remains were still being unearthed, and authorities had yet to question him. His suicide note, while lengthy, fails to mention the bodies or confess to any crimes (Indianapolis Star, 6 July 1996).

• Posthumous Investigations: Investigations continue posthumously, and forensic experts collect over 6,000 bone fragments from Baumeister’s property, concluding that the remains could belong to as many as 25 individuals. The identified victims include men who were last seen in or around Indianapolis gay bars (Indianapolis Star, 28 Oct. 2012).

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

• 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, 28 Apr. 1998).

• Authorities question the similarities in the death of John Talbot, 27, found in a creek in Ohio in 1989. This could bring the total number of suspected victims to 17 (Indianapolis News, 1 May 1998).

• The remains of an unidentified man were exhumed from a New Albany cemetery to determine if they were those of Jerry Williams-Comer, another potential victim (Courier-Journal, 29 Apr. 2008).

• Unidentified Victims and Potential Accomplices: Authorities suspect that Baumeister might have had an accomplice or could have been an accomplice himself to Larry Eyler, another convicted murderer who was sentenced to death for the murder and dismemberment of a 15-year-old boy. Eyler, who confessed to 21 additional homicides, died of AIDS-related complications in 1994. There is also speculation that Baumeister’s first murder may have been accidental, but it unleashed a propensity to kill that led to further crimes (Noblesville Ledger, 6 Jan. 1997).

• Mid-2000s and Beyond: Despite Baumeister’s death, speculation around his crimes continues. Authorities still uncover new connections, and unidentified remains are exhumed in attempts to identify additional victims. His crimes leave a lasting impact on the community, and his former estate remains a site of macabre curiosity and tragic history.

References:

• “Bones Found at Estate Are Human.” Indianapolis News, 28 June 1996.

• Campbell, Richard M. “Wife Agrees to Search for Missing Men.” Noblesville Ledger, 24 Feb. 1997.

• Campbell, Richard M. “Wife Agrees to Search for Missing Men.” Noblesville Ledger, 20 Mar. 1997.

• Johnson, B. R. “Store Chain Seeks Bankruptcy Protection.” Indianapolis Star, 15 Sept. 1996.

• “Remains of 5 Found at Estate.” Journal and Courier, 4 July 1996.

• “Self-Inflicted Gunshot Ends Suspected Serial Killer’s Life.” Indianapolis Star, 6 July 1996.

• Smith, John. “Murder Mystery Unravels in Indiana.” The Tribune, 28 Apr. 1998.

• “The Dark Secrets of Fox Hollow Farm.” Indianapolis Star, 28 Oct. 2012.

• “The Double Life of Herbert Baumeister.” Indianapolis Star, 24 Nov. 1996.

• “Unraveling the Mystery of the I-70 Strangler.” Noblesville Ledger, 6 Jan. 1997.

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

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