In the summer of 1994, a young man's disappearance from Indianapolis would eventually unravel a horrifying tale of a double life and a hidden graveyard. Allen Wayne Broussard, a 28-year-old African American male, was last seen on June 6, 1994. His vanishing act was not an isolated incident but part of a disturbing pattern of young men going missing in the area, a pattern that would lead investigators to the manicured grounds of a picturesque Westfield estate known as Fox Hollow Farm.
The
owner of this 18-acre property was Herbert Baumeister, a seemingly successful businessman and family man. However, beneath this veneer of suburban normalcy lurked a sinister secret. Baumeister was leading a double life, frequenting gay bars in Indianapolis and luring young men back to his home. It was there, amidst the idyllic setting of his estate, that he would carry out his gruesome acts. Allen Broussard was one of his many victims, his life tragically cut short.
The grim discovery that would expose Baumeister's horrific crimes came in 1996. Investigators, acting on a tip from a man who claimed to have escaped from Baumeister's home, searched the vast property while Baumeister was away. What they unearthed was a scene of unimaginable horror: thousands of bone fragments scattered throughout the wooded areas of the estate. These were the remains of the numerous young men who had fallen prey to Baumeister. Among the identified remains were those of Allen Wayne Broussard, confirming his tragic fate.
As the net closed in, with a warrant issued for his arrest, Herbert Baumeister fled to Ontario, Canada. There, he took his own life, leaving behind a suicide note in which he did not admit to the murders. His death brought an end to the manhunt but left the families of his victims, including Allen Broussard's, with unanswered questions and the haunting reality of his crimes. Though he was never to face a trial or conviction, the discovery at Fox Hollow Farm ensured that the stories of his victims would be told and that the man who lived a dark double life would be remembered as a prolific serial killer.
