Another victim of Indiana serial killer Herb Baumeister identified, bringing total to 10

WESTFIELD, Ind. — Authorities have identified the remains of a 10th victim found on the property of a notorious Indiana serial killer who lived in Westfield.

Hamilton County Coroner Jeff Jellison announced Tuesday that investigators have identified human remains found in 1996 on Fox Hollow Farm, the former home of Herbert Baumeister.

The name of the victim: Daniel Thomas Halloran. The coroner said Halloran was born in 1972, but that his death date is unknown.

The identification of Halloran was possible through “advanced forensic testing” and genetic genealogy conducted by Othram, Inc. in an attempt to identify nearly 10,000 remains recovered from Baumeister’s property in the 1990s.

Halloran is the 10th victim to have been identified, according to Jellison.

“This is a significant development in our ongoing efforts to provide answers to the families of those who went missing,” Jellison said. “We are grateful for the expertise of Othram and the advances in forensic science that made this possible.

The investigation into Baumeister, considered one of Indiana’s most notorious serial killers, began nearly 30 years ago.

Police believe he lured gay men to his Westfield home in the mid-80s through the mid-90s before killing them and disposing of their bodies in the back of his property.

It wasn’t until 1996 that Baumeister was found out. Shortly after the first of the 10,000 bone fragments were found on his property and an investigation was opened, Baumeister shot himself in Canada.

Despite it being over 20 years since Baumeister’s death, Jellison and the County Coroner’s Office are continuing the work to identify his victims.

In recent years, the team has reinvigorated efforts to bring closure to victims’ families and has already had success.

In October of 2023, the remains of suspected Baumeister victim Allen Livingston were identified by the coroner. Livingston went missing in Indianapolis in 1993, but his family never stopped looking for answers and helped renew interest in the case.

The 10,000 remains recovered from the Baumeister property are stored in the University of Indianapolis’ archaeology department and are in the process of DNA testing at Indiana State Police labs.

Scientists are continuing to test the recovered remains with DNA provided by the family of possible victims as well as nationwide databases.

Anyone who suspects their loved ones may have been one of Baumeister’s victims can contact the Hamilton County Coroner’s Office at (317) 770-4415 to provide a DNA sample for testing.