In 1993, a number of missing person cases involving young men went unsolved. Roger Allan Goodlet disappeared on July 22, 1994. Goodlet’s mother contacted the police, but unsatisfied with their response, she hired a private investigator. Soon Goodlet’s face appeared on flyers throughout the area. Finally, the community and media began to ask questions about the young men who frequented the gay night clubs in the area and their disappearances. Days after Goodlet’s disappearance, Stephen Hale was the eighth man to vanish. Police turned to the FBI Behavioral Science Unit for help. The profile indicated the perpetrator was a white male, mid 30s, bisexual with a mid to high level IQ. The profile would only be useful if the received information on a possible suspect.
One potential witness came forward. Mark Goodyear told police about an odd encounter he had with a man who was a regular patron of the bars in the area. When Goodyear and the man discussed the missing person flyer, the man seemed to feign concern. Despite Goodyear’s suspicions, he agreed to accompany the man home, where they engaged in erotic asphyxiation foreplay. Goodyear was shaken by the encounter and reported the incident to police, but he was unable to pinpoint the location. The man continued to contact Goodyear. During their phone conversations, the man admitted to accidents or bad nights, but he never confessed to murder. By August 1995, ten men had vanished. Goodyear spotted the man in a bar and took down his license plate number, which belonged to Herb Baumeister.
Unlike most characters in true crime stories, Herb and Julie Baumeister lived a seemingly idyllic life. The meet while attending Indiana University and married after Julie’s graduation in 1971. They founded a prosperous business, the Sav-A-Lot Thrift Stores, their children attended private schools and to all appearances they had achieved the American dream.
Police didn’t have any evidence to tie Beaumeister to the crimes, so they questioned him and asked to search his home. Unable to obtain a search warrant, Police conducted a search from the air using an infrared camera in the hopes of locating graves. The search was unsuccessful. Julie couldn’t believe Herb was involved; however, the stress of financial hardship and the accusations damaged the couple’s marriage. Julie filed for divorce and feared Herb would flee with her children. She decided to give police permission to search the property.
The police found a burial ground behind the house. Bones, teeth and skulls were strewn on the ground. Some of the bones were burned and broken; others were whole, large pieces. There were seven left metacarpal bones discovered, indicating at least seven victims. Despite the gruesome discovery, Herb Baumeister was not taken into custody. Herb Baumeister committed suicide on July 4th, 1996. He left a suicide note but made no mention of his crimes. Witnesses came forward and confirmed Baumeister’s habit of bringing men home for sexual encounters. Police speculated that Baumeister may have killed 50-60 people, beginning as earlier as 1980. The I-70 murders were eerily similar.
It seems inconceivable that Julie would not know about Herb’s activities. She did know that in 1972, Herb spent two months in a psychiatric hospital and was diagnosed with compulsive personality disorder. Police did not consider Julie an accomplice because she was gone each night a victim was taken to the home.
December 29, 2007 at 10:06 pm |
When you say local community, are you talking about Indiana?
December 29, 2007 at 11:15 pm |
The police and media seemed to overlook the disappearances, and some believe it was because the victims were homosexual. Aside from the gay community of the area, most people weren’t aware of the case, until Goodlet’s mother hired a PI. Then the media picked up the story. The crimes occurred in Indianapolis, Indiana.
December 29, 2007 at 11:58 pm |
We had a gay family member go missing about twenty years ago in Tulsa Oklahoma. He was last seen in a gay bar. His car was found by the freeway, his wallet inside, wiped clean of prints. We have had no luck.
December 30, 2007 at 5:53 am |
Sorry to hear that. It’s sad that these cases weren’t investigated more aggressively in the beginning. Several lives may have been saved. It’s as though some victims are deemed more worthy of justice than others.
January 12, 2008 at 2:40 pm |
Is this the same Sav-A-Lot stores that are all over Michigan? The grocery stores? Just curious because of the same name, but yet in every description it says Sav-A-Lot “Thrift Stores”… ???
January 13, 2008 at 1:29 am |
They’re not related.
April 30, 2008 at 3:01 pm |
I grew up in the same neighborhood as the Baumeisters, my best friend lived across the street. Their kids played with us frequently and were very normal. Later on, my best friend and I worked at one of their thrift stores helping to set it up (small manual labor jobs) I think I was 16 or 17 years old at the time. Herb was odd, but very nice. Julie was not as friendly. Looking back I shudder when I think about Herb and I working alone in the large dark warehouse in the evenings moving stuff around.
May 1, 2008 at 7:48 pm |
That’s a scary thought but you know what people ALWAYS say after killer is caught “He was a nice guy, a little quiet, kept to himself…” Those are the ones to watch out for. Come to think of it, I have a few neighbors like that too.
May 20, 2008 at 3:06 am |
Just watched the Investigators about the story. Wow, what a crazy man he was, Odd that a kubatic like him could have started a successful business as he did.
July 31, 2008 at 2:30 pm |
He actualy lived in Westfield, Indiana. His House is right down the street
September 1, 2008 at 2:12 am |
What street did he live on? This was on the local radio station (WIBC) last nite on the Crime Beat show. I remember the whole area was nervous!
September 14, 2008 at 4:51 pm |
his house is on 151 st and 31.
a lot of his land has been sold off in sections for expensive neighborhoods
they build million dollar homes on land that is believed to still have dead bodies in it.
i can see his house from my bedroom window. ha
August 4, 2009 at 5:17 pm |
Can you give me the address of the home? I would like to lok at it on google earth.
January 29, 2009 at 10:12 pm |
i am the niece of one of his victims, clay boatman. it tore our family in a thousand pieces i watched my grandfather his father die a hundred times over ever time a lie popped up on the front page. see clay was a nurse in indy (he had a very kind heart his smile would light the room up) BUT because he was in a gay bar in indy and left with this monster the police who in all their wisdom plastered all over the news he was a homosexual prostitute! i feel for anyone who was touched by this monster or any of the other monsters in this world.
March 29, 2009 at 12:48 am |
i am the sister of the young man whom dated this monster….If you care to talk i will write……………………………………………….
October 28, 2009 at 4:32 pm |
Hi Tammi,
My name is Greg and I am a gay man who lives in Indy. My partner and I watched a show on HB last weekend and drove up and saw his house. Super weird feeling to be honest. I remember the missing photos in the bar and remember thinking this was being passed up because the victims were gay.
I am thrilled your brother made it out alive and helped bring HB down! He has to feel great about that. At least something good from him meeting HB. I have always had a fascination with serial killers writing a few papers in younger years. Being gay I, living nearby,and remembering the photos just makes me more curious.
I would love to pen-pal with you.
take care and hope to chat soon…Greg
May 22, 2009 at 3:53 am |
I was a good family friends with Herb Baumeister. I was 13 years old when this happened in 1996. His family would eat dinner at my house every year on the 4th of July too. I also went to school with his children….my parents still refuse to talk about what he did. Horrible things