Cadaver dogs search former home of serial killer

HAMILTON COUNTY, Ind. (WISH) - Herb Baumeister is accused of luring young men to his home in the 1980s and 1990s and murdering them.

Some of their remains have been found in the backyard, and authorities are still combing through the area for more.

“I don’t think we really know. The official number, I was always told, was 11 because they found 11 left-hand thumb bones,” said Robert Graves, the current owner of the home. “They know there were at least 11 left hands, but because of the sheer number of bones and the inability to DNA test them, the estimate that I was always told was 17 to 20.”

Eleven cadaver dogs from Indy Canine Search and Rescue spent a day combing through the woods behind Robert Graves’ home.

At one time, the house and the land around it belonged to Baumeister. He took his own life in 1996 before authorities could question him.

“I can tell you after the Dahmer show on Netflix was shown, interest here went up quite a bit. People want to see where things happen, and this is a pretty infamous case,” Graves said.

He has owned the property for 15 years.

“If someone doesn’t ask me about it, I don’t think about it on a daily basis. When we first moved here, I certainly did, but over time, it’s been enough time that I just don’t think about it,” Graves said.

The Hamilton County Coroner’s Office said searchers marked areas where the dogs appeared to have found something.

Officials said they will talk to law enforcement and the University of Indianapolis Lab to figure out the best way to proceed.

Graves said he hopes the new search will answer everyone’s questions once and for all.

“I hope they find any remains that have not been found, and they get some identification so that the families can have some kind of closure,” he said.

Graves recommends reaching out to investigators to provide a DNA sample if you have a loved one who went missing in the 1980s or 1990s.