The remains discovered on the estate of a suspected serial killer in central Indiana have been confirmed as those of a man who was reported missing in 1993, according to a statement from Coroner Jeff Jellison on Thursday.
The remains, found in 1996 at Herbert Baumeister’s Fox Hollow Farm estate, have been positively matched to Manuel Resendez, who vanished at the age of 34. Jellison noted that Resendez’s identification was established through a family reference sample submitted in early 2023.
Jellison remarked, “I would like to thank the entire team of law enforcement and forensic specialists that have come together to support this effort,” CBS affiliate WTTV reported.
Approximately 10,000 burnt bones and bone fragments have been uncovered at Baumeister’s 18-acre estate in Westfield, located approximately 16 miles north of Indianapolis, according to statements by Jellison.
Baumeister took his own life in Canada in July 1996 at the age of 49, just as investigators were attempting to question him regarding the human remains discovered at Fox Hollow Farm.
Investigators suspected that Baumeister, a married father of three known to frequent gay bars, enticed men to his residence and committed murders. By 1999, authorities had linked him to the disappearance of at least 16 men since 1980, with several bodies found disposed of in shallow streams in rural central Indiana and western Ohio.
In 2022, Jellison announced a renewed effort to identify the charred bones and fragments, urging relatives of young men who went missing between the mid-1980s and mid-1990s to submit DNA samples. Investigators believe that the bones and fragments may represent the remains of at least 25 individuals.
In October, authorities identified Allen Livingston as Baumeister’s ninth presumed victim. Livingston, an Indianapolis man who disappeared in 1993, vanished on the same day as Resendez, according to the Doe Network.
The case reportedly began in June 1996 when Baumeister’s 15-year-old son found a human skull about 60 yards from their home, as reported by WTTV.
The discovery occurred while Baumeister and his wife of 24 years were undergoing divorce proceedings. The day after their son found the bones, Baumeister’s wife obtained an emergency protective order and custody to keep him away from her and their three children.
During that time, Baumeister explained the discovery by attributing it to his late father’s medical practice, as reported by the station. Three days after the initial discovery by the boy, additional remains were found by Hamilton County firefighters, leaving investigators perplexed, according to the station’s report.
The Indianapolis Star is cited as saying, “It’s an unusual spot to find bodies,” from then-Sheriff Joe Cook.
The Hamilton County Coroner’s Office is requesting that anyone who thinks they are related to a missing individual and may be involved in this investigation get in touch.
