The Hunt for Herb Baumeister: Tracing the Dark Legacy of Indiana’s Serial Killer

Fox Hollow Farm, 501 Eagle, and the Haunting Imprint of Herb Baumeister’s Crimes

Sep 14, 2024

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.

Please watch the video:

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.

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

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