The story of Fox Hollow Farm is the kind of thing that makes you want to double-check the locks even if you live in a gated community. Most people know about Herb Baumeister—the seemingly "normal" thrift store owner who turned his 18-acre Indiana estate into a literal graveyard for dozens of men. But whenever a documentary pops up on Hulu or a new podcast episode drops, the same question bubbles up: is Julie Baumeister still alive?
It’s a fair question. She was the woman standing right in the middle of the whirlwind, raising three kids while her husband was, quite literally, burying secrets in the backyard. Living through that kind of trauma—realizing the man you shared a bed with was a prolific serial killer—is enough to break anyone.
The Truth About Julie's Current Status
To set the record straight: No, Julie Baumeister is no longer alive. She passed away fairly recently. According to public records and family obituaries, Julie Ann Baumeister died on October 7, 2024, after a brief battle with cancer. She was surrounded by her family at the time. It’s a quiet end to a life that was once dragged into one of the most sensational and gruesome true crime stories in American history.
Honestly, it’s a bit of a relief to know she spent her final years focused on her children and grandchildren rather than the headlines. For decades, people wondered if she knew more than she let on, but those who followed the case closely saw a woman who was mostly just trying to keep her head above water.
Why People Still Ask About Her
The fascination with Julie usually stems from the "how could she not know?" factor. People are obsessed with the idea of the "unaware wife." In the case of Herb Baumeister, the details were particularly jarring.
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Back in 1994, their 13-year-old son, Erich, actually found a human skull on the property. Imagine that. You’re a kid playing in the woods and you find a piece of a person. When Julie confronted Herb about it, he gave her some line about it being a medical school skeleton from his father’s practice.
And she believed him.
You have to remember the context of their life back then. They ran Sav-A-Lot thrift stores. They were successful. They were part of the suburban elite in Carmel, Indiana. When you're living that kind of life, "my husband is a serial killer" isn't even on the radar of possibilities. You'd much rather believe the medical skeleton story than the alternative.
The Breaking Point at Fox Hollow Farm
By 1996, the walls were closing in. The marriage was already falling apart—Herb’s behavior was getting erratic, he was drinking heavily, and the business was failing. Julie actually filed for divorce in early 1996.
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The real turning point for the investigation happened because of Julie’s change of heart. For a long time, she and Herb refused to let police search the property. You could argue she was protecting him, or maybe she was just terrified of the "razor-sharp edge of his rage," as some investigators described his temper.
But in June 1996, while Herb was away, Julie finally gave the police the green light. That’s when the horror started. Investigators found thousands of bone fragments.
Herb didn’t stick around to face the music. He fled to Ontario, Canada, and took his own life at Pinery Provincial Park. He left a suicide note, but—infuriatingly—he didn't apologize or name any victims. He basically just complained about the divorce and his failing business.
Life After the Horror
After Herb’s death, Julie basically vanished from the public eye. Can you blame her? She had to raise three kids who now had a serial killer for a father. She eventually moved away and tried to build a life that wasn't defined by the 10,000+ bone fragments found on her old property.
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She did a few interviews early on—notably with People and some local outlets—to defend her ignorance of the crimes. She portrayed herself as a victim of Herb’s manipulation and "Jekyll and Hyde" personality. Most investigators eventually came to believe her. They saw a woman who was emotionally abused and kept in the dark, rather than an accomplice.
Recent Developments and the 2026 Context
Even though Julie has passed, the Fox Hollow Farm case is far from closed. As of early 2026, the Hamilton County Coroner’s Office is still actively identifying victims.
For decades, boxes of bones sat in storage because the technology just wasn't there to process them. Now, using advanced forensic genetic genealogy (the same stuff that caught the Golden State Killer), they are finally putting names to the remains.
- Allen Livingston was identified in 2023.
- Manuel Resendez and others have had their remains returned to families recently.
- Investigators now believe Herb may have murdered up to 25 men, far more than the initial estimates.
Moving Forward
If you’re looking for "lessons" from Julie’s story, it’s mostly about the complexity of domestic life. People can live right next to someone and never truly see them. Julie's death in 2024 marked the end of a very painful chapter for her personally, but the work to identify Herb’s victims continues.
What you can do now:
If you or someone you know had a loved one go missing in the Indianapolis area between 1980 and 1996, particularly men who frequented the city's gay bars, the Hamilton County Coroner is still seeking DNA samples from relatives. Providing a simple swab could be the key to identifying one of the hundreds of bone fragments still sitting in a lab. It’s about giving those families the closure that Julie’s own family likely sought in her final days.