TRUE CRIME REPORT

The Girl With The Turquoise Jewelry

Perry County Jane Doe, also known as “The Girl With The Turquoise Jewelry” is the name given to an unidentified woman whose remains were found in Perry County, Pennsylvania in June 1979. Although her death is undetermined, it has still been considered suspicious by authorities. Othram also began the process of genetic genealogy in 2023 to help identify the woman.

On June 20, 1979, a stonemason discovered badly decomposed skeletal remains alongside Juanita River located nearby a highway in Perry County, Pennsylvania. Because the remains were so decomposed, the death was estimated to have occurred months before, possibly even August of 1978.

The human remains were estimated to have been a woman between 15-38 years old, with a minimum height of 5’2″ and maximum height of 5’9″, and weighed between 105-125 pounds. The woman was determined to be white, with straight or curly shoulder-length blonde or light brown hair.

Jane Doe was discovered with several unique pieces of jewelry, which is where her nickname comes from. She was wearing two sterling silver rings with turquoise stones, one of which also contained the onyx stone. Jane Doe also wore a chain bracelet on her right arm, as well as a matching turquoise necklace and pair of earrings. Authorities believe this jewelry originated from Arizona, New Mexico, or another similar region, with Native American tribes like the Navajo or Zuni Indians who make similar jewelry.

The victim wore a tan jacket, white boots with silver buckles, green and white socks, and blue slacks. The slacks were made from knitted wool that contained strands of red threads. She also wore two tops, a white shirt and blue tank top.

It was noted that the victim received dental care during her life, with several fillings discovered, as well as several healed areas where teeth were removed. One of her molar teeth had also not yet erupted.

Autopsy revealed that Jane Doe had previously fractured a rib, which was healed at the time of death. It was also found that she may have possibly spent several months living in the Midwest or Southern Canada, near the Great Lakes, when she was an adolescent.

The victim was buried shortly after she was discovered, but her remains were exhumed in 2008 for further DNA testing. Her DNA and dental records have been recorded and filed, but because of how badly her remains were decomposed, no fingerprints could be collected.

About 60 identities have been ruled out as being Perry County Jane Doe. Professional artists have sketched and made facial reconstructions of what the young woman would have looked like. On September 27, 2023, Othram announced that they had begun the process of genetic genealogy to help uncover the victim’s identity.

It has been over 40 years since the remains of Perry County Jane Doe were discovered. Although it is unknown what the manner of her death was, with more DNA testing, hopefully more information about this woman will be revealed and her identity will be given back.

Resources-

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perry_County_Jane_Doe

https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/vicap/unidentified-persons/jane-doe-23

https://unidentified-awareness.fandom.com/wiki/Perry_County_Jane_Doe_(1979)

The Unsolved Murder of Karina Holmer

Karina Holmer was a young woman from Sweden who was found murdered after a night out with friends just months after moving to Boston, Massachusetts. Her case has been unsolved for over 27 years.

Karina E. Holmer was a 19 year old young woman from Skillingaryd, Sweden. After purchasing a lottery ticket and winning $1,500, Karina decided to use her money to move to America and work as an au pair.

In March, 1996, Karina worked with an unlicensed agency to get to America using a tourist visa. Karina moved to South Boston and lived in a basement apartment on A Street, and was in charge of caring for 2 children living in Dover. Karina often spent her free time exploring her new home and making new friends who also worked as au pairs. She also often wrote letters to her family back in Sweden.

On July 21st, 1996, the Summer Solstice, also known as Midsummer, began. This is a popular celebration in Sweden and America, so to celebrate, Karina went out to the Theater district, known for its many bars and nightclubs, with 3 friends. Karina became incredibly inebriated and was last seen at the Zanzibar nightclub, which is now closed, around midnight.

The following day at around 1:30 p.m., a homeless man was rummaging through some dumpsters behind an apartment building at 1091 Bolyston St. when he discovered something horrifying. Inside the dumpster was the upper torso of a female that had been wrapped in black trash bags. The woman’s body was cut right at the waist. The bottom half of the woman’s torso has never been found. Her cause of death was determined to be strangulation, noted by the ligature markings on her neck.

The body was soon identified as 19 year old Karina Holmer by her friends. The police did not release news of her identification to the public until after her family in Sweden was notified. Upon learning of their daughter’s gruesome murder, Karina’s father Ola asked the lead detective, “What am I getting back?” in regards to her remains. The detective replied, “You’re getting her upper torso. You’re getting her beautiful face.”

Investigators believe that because of the gruesome nature of the crime, easy access to the dumpster, and the fact that Karina was new to the area, her killer(s) must have known her or been familiar with her. Several people were looked into, including Karina’s host family from work. Investigators ran into difficulties with this, as the family would not talk or give any information regarding Karina. This has made some believe that Frank Rapp, the father, may have had more to do with Karina’s murder, believing that a secret relationship may have occurred between the two, but none of this has been confirmed.

It was also found that the family, who was very much wealthy, used the unlicensed au pair agency to get at least 6 other nannies before they hired Karina. This has raised the question that if the family is so well off, why did they use this illegal agency to get several au pairs? The video by The Misery Machine (linked below) covering Karina’s case brings this up as they explain that these unlicensed agencies are borderline human trafficking, as many of these au pairs are brought to these homes and often treated horribly, even abused. Because they are through these illegal agencies, they aren’t documented, therefore there isn’t an actual record of them being there for work in legal agencies. This can be very dangerous for the women working in these situations, like Karina unfortunately. Had she not been found, she would have likely remained missing and her family in Sweden wouldn’t even know.

Though Karina’s case has gone cold, investigators are still looking for evidence and accepting tips as to who could have done this to her.

Resources-

https://www.bostonherald.com/2022/03/30/from-the-archive-body-identified-as-swedish-nanny-karina-holmer/amp/

https://youtu.be/iO3gXcl40ws?si=RAcJ5yvLIy47NwFV

https://coldcasene.org/f/karina-holmer

Finley Creek Jane Doe

Finley Creek Jane Doe is the name given to a pregnant homicide victim whose remains were discovered at Finley Creek Cow Camp in August of 1978. She has remained unidentified for over 40 years, but her case has gained lots of media attention as web sleuths and investigators reopen her case.

At about 7am on August 27, 1978, two hunters were visiting the Finley Creek Cow Camp near Union County, Oregon when they came across a skull protruding out of a shallow grave. More skeletal remains were found scattered nearby the grave. As investigators began collecting evidence from the scene, they noted that there were also smaller bones along with the remains.

The medical examiner determined that the skeletal remains belonged to a woman who was estimated to be between 6-8 months pregnant, which accounted for the smaller fetal remains found. The woman was determined to be white with light brown or blonde hair, standing between 5’1”- 5’3”, and weighing about 115-125 lbs. She was estimated to be between 17-25 years old. It was also noted that the woman received extensive dental work during her life, which included several fillings and multiple extractions. Some articles of clothing were found near the woman’s remains as well, which included: red “Catalina” brand size 15/16 pants, ankle-high lace up shoes, and a white halter top with flower patterns.

Throughout the 80s and 90s, several tips were given to investigators about Finely Creek Jane Doe’s possible identification. However, these were all ruled out or didn’t hold strong leads. Despite having no confirmed identification, the case was considered closed in 1990 and the Union County DA Russ West ordered that the evidence and remains be destroyed. Jane Doe and her unborn child’s remains were then sent to a crematorium in Walla Walla, Washington and cremated, which are now considered lost.

Despite the remains being destroyed, in 2019 the original medical examiner behind the case, Dr. Nici Vance, teamed up with members of the Finley Creek Jane Doe Task Force to create a facial reconstruction. On May 5, 2020, a forensic facial reconstruction of Jane Doe was released to the public.

In 2022, a woman from Walla Walla, Washington named Suzanne Timms came forward after suspecting that the Jane Doe may be her missing mother Patricia “Patty” Otto. Suzanne came across the facial reconstruction of Finley Creek Jane Doe on FaceBook, taken aback by how much it resembled herself. She then became convinced that the Jane Doe could be her mother who went missing in 1976 when she was 3 years old. She stated that she remembers her mother wearing the same clothes that was found near the Jane Doe the last time she saw her. Unfortunately, Patricia Otto was also ruled out as the Jane Doe, leading investigators back to square one. Suzanne Timms continues to investigate her mother’s disappearance and find out what happened to her.

Although much time has passed and the evidence and remains are considered lost, there is still a chance to find out who was the Finley Creek Jane Doe and what could have happened to her and her unborn child.

Resources-

https://unidentified-awareness.fandom.com/wiki/Finley_Creek_Jane_Doe

https://www.lagrandeobserver.com/news/local/walla-walla-woman-believes-finley-creek-jane-doe-is-her-mom/article_8b7c1c9c-36b1-11ec-8614-5bf0197938de.html

Finley Creek Jane Doe – a young woman erased from this world.
by u/Ok-Autumn in gratefuldoe

Post Update- Boone County Jane Doe Identified

On August 27, 2021, I uploaded a post about Boone County Jane Doe. Jane Doe was a young woman who was found murdered near Interstate 65 in Lebanon, Indiana in 1992. She remained unidentified for over 29 years, and has finally been identified as Margaret Sniegowski.

On May 3, 1992, Boone County Jane Doe was discovered by a farmer while he was tending to his crops. She was at the bottom of a hill near an entrance ramp on Interstate 65 in Lebanon, Indiana. The young woman’s body was only wearing a light green or yellow tank top and light green socks. Because of her state of decomposition, her cause of death could not be determined, but because of the circumstances in which she was disposed, detectives are sure that foul play was involved in Jane Doe’s death.

Upon further examinations, Boone County Jane Doe was determined to be a white female between the ages of 17-22, was between 5’3″-5’7″, and weighed about 130 pounds. She had short red or auburn hair, as well as several tattoos. These tattoos included the word “MOM” on her upper right arm, the word “LOVE” with a cross and two hearts on her right breast, a cross tattoo on her right hand between her thumb and index finger. Boone County Jane Doe is suspected to have died 3 to 5 days before she was discovered.

In 2018, the Boone County Sheriff’s Office released new facial reconstruction images of what Boone County Jane Doe looked like. These new advanced images may hopefully be what is needed for someone to finally recognize this young woman and give her name back to her. Isotope tests were also taken after her remains where exhumed for a second time, and it was determined that Jane Doe must have been from the southwestern U.S., the Midwest, or the Upper New England states. Hopefully with the new DNA technology available, Boone County Jane Doe’s identity will eventually be revealed.

After decades of the case going cold, there was finally a break in the case in 2021 thanks to genetic genealogy! In 2021, Boone County Jane Doe’s skeletal remains were sent to Othman, which is a company that specializes in DNA genealogy testing. With the DNA they obtained from the remains, Othram developed a DNA profile of the victim to help identify her. In January 2022, a DNA test confirmed the jane doe’s identification.

Boone County Jane Doe was identified as 17 year old Margaret Ann Sniegowski from Toledo, Ohio. She died just one month before her 18th birthday, and was the youngest of 8 siblings. Margaret’s siblings are grateful for her identification, but now they are focused on finding the person who hurt and took their sister from them. The investigation into Margaret’s death is continued to be treated as a homicide.

Resources-

Boone County Jane Doe

https://www.wthr.com/article/news/crime/boone-county-jane-doe-identified-as-ohio-teenager-after-nearly-30-years-indiana-margaret-ann-sniegowski-jr-dna-forensic-genealogy/531-b6f3352d-e300-46de-b736-8218a588e796

Franklin County John Doe

Franklin County John Doe is the name given to an unidentified young Asian male who was found deceased in Lockbourne, Ohio in September 1992.

On September 20, 1992, a couple went out fishing at Big Walnut Creek in Lockbourne, Ohio. As they were fishing, they noticed something odd along the creek. Upon investigating, the couple discovered the decomposing body of a teenager or young adult.

Autopsy reports found that the victim was an Asian male, between 15-23 years old. His height was between 4’11”- 5’3” and he had short black hair about 2” in length. The victim was found wearing jockey shorts and a gold chain with paintings of Asian women on both sides, held by a braided green nylon lanyard.

The victim’s cause of death was determined to be a gunshot wound, classifying his death as a homicide. There is limited information available about the Franklin County John Doe, but bringing more attention to his case will help to get more work done to determine who he was and what happened to him.

Resources-

https://unidentified-awareness.fandom.com/wiki/Franklin_County_John_Doe_(1992)

https://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/Files/Law-Enforcement/Investigator/Unidentified-Remains/Doe-(1)

The Unidentified Middle Child

The Unidentified Middle Child is the name given to a young murder victim who was apart of the Allenstown 4, a group of murder victims found in Allenstown, New Hampshire. Though the 3 other victims have since been identified as a young mother and her 2 daughters, as well as the discovery that the perpetrator was the victim’s own father, the young child remains unidentified.

On November 10, 1985, a hunter found a 55-gallon drum near an old burned down building in at Bear Brooke State Park in Allenstown, New Hampshire. Inside of the drum were 2 decomposing bodies wrapped in plastic. Autopsy revealed that the bodies were that of a young woman and child. The woman was thought to be between 23-33 and the child was thought to be between 8-10; both victims died by blunt force trauma.

Nearly 15 years later, on May 9, 2000, another drum was found near the original discovery site. Inside the second drum were 2 more decaying bodies. The next autopsy determined that the remains were that of a young girl between the ages of 2-4 and an infant female child; their causes of death were also blunt force trauma. Despite the second drum being found years later, investigators determined that the murders occurred at the same time. The reason that the second drum wasn’t found sooner was because it was outside the proximity of the first drum.

The case of the 4 murder victims was highly publicized throughout the United States and some parts of Canada. Many identities were ruled out, and for a while, the victims’ case began to go cold.

In June 2013, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children released updated versions of facial reconstructions of the 4 victims. Another updated version of the facial reconstructions were again released in November 2015. In 2014, DNA testing revealed that the oldest victim, second victim, and youngest victim were all maternally related. In 2015, it was found that the oldest victim was the mother of the 2 girls, and they were primarily from the NorthEastern United States.

The oldest victim, second victim, and youngest victim

The middle child was not related to the other victims, but it was found that she was primarily from the NorthEast or Upper Midwest United States. However, further testing in 2019 revealed that the child could also possibly be from Arizona, Texas, California, or Oregon.

In 2017, a break in the case came when Denise Beaudin was connected to the murders. Denise Beaudin was a woman from Manchester, New Hampshire, who went missing along with her daughter in 1981 after leaving with her boyfriend Bob Evans. Denise eventually went missing and Bob Evans later abandoned the young girl nicknamed “Lisa” at a campsite, and she never saw Bob or her mother again. Beaudin was not reported missing until 2016 when her daughter resurfaced in 2016 and was found to be alive and well living in California. Beaudin, however, remains missing.

Investigators soon found that Bob Evans’s real identity was Terry Peder Rasmussen, and he was the father of the Unidentified Middle Child of the Bear Brook Murders. Authorities then believed that Rasmussen was responsible for the Bear Brook Murders. Unfortunately, Terry Rasmussen died in prison in December 2010 after being convicted of the 2002 murder and dismemberment of his wife Eunsoon Jun, a chemist from California.

Further investigation found that Terry Rasmussen was born in 1943 in Denver, Colorado. He got married in 1979 and had 4 children. His wife left him in 1973, and his family last saw him in 1974. DNA samples provided by one of his sons confirmed his identity in June 2017. It was found the Rasmussen used up to 5, and possibly more, false identifies, leading him to be known as the Chameleon Killer.

In 1999, a young man created a post on Ancestry.com in hopes to find his half sister whom he shared a father with but never met. It was stated that the girl was born in Hawaiian Gardens, California. Nothing came of this post at first.

Nearly 20 years later, on June 6, 2019, New Hampshire investigators announced the identities of the young woman and her 2 children. It was revealed that the woman was 24 year old Marlyse Honeychurch, and her daughters 7 year old Marie Vaughn and 11 month old Sarah McWaters. They were last seen around Thanksgiving in 1978 in La Puente, California. Marlyse left her home after having an argument with her mother and never contacting her relatives again. She was dating Terry Rasmussen at this time and was believed to have used the alias Elizabeth Evans at some point while with him. It was found that it was Sarah’s younger half brother who made the Ancestry post in hopes to find her. At some point in their lives, both Marie and Sarah’s fathers had custody of them, but eventually Marlyse regained custody of them sometime before their deaths. Marlyse and her daughters were all laid to rest in funeral services sometime in 2019.

The Middle Child’s identity is the most mysterious of all the identifications in this case. DNA testing links her as the daughter of Terry Rasmussen, as well as the possible locations she grew up in. It is unknown who the child’s mother is, but it was found that her mother’s relatives were most likely from Pearl River County, Mississippi. In 2020, an updated facial reconstruction of the unidentified child was released to the media. The young girl was between 2-4 years old, she had wavy brown hair, a slightly noticeable overbite, and was between 3’3″ or 3’9″.

Resources-

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bear_Brook_murders

https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/vicap/unidentified-persons/jane-doe-2

https://www.wmur.com/article/terry-rasumussen-daughter-bear-brook-victim/40461037

The Murder of Amore Wiggins

Amore Wiggins was a 5 year old girl from Alabama who went missing in 2011. Her remains were found in 2011, but she was not identified until January 2023. Amore’s killer was revealed to be her own father.

Amore Joveah Wiggins was born on January 1, 2006 to her mother Sherry Wiggins and father Lamar Vickerstaff. At some point, Lamar was awarded full custody of Amore in 2009, and she went to live with him and his wife Ruth Vickerstaff. Lamar Vickerstaff served in the Navy, making him to appear as the better fit parent for Amore. During the time Amore was in Lamar’s custody, Sherry was given visits and paid child support, but she tried multiple times to take Lamar back to court to get Amore back.

On January 28, 2012, a resident at Brook Haven Trailer Park in Opelika, Alabama discovered a scull behind the trailer park. Police were called and searched more of the surrounding area, to which they discovered more remains, as well as a pink, long sleeve shirt with heart buttons and ruffles on it nearby a creek. They are unsure if the shirt belonged to the victim or not.

Autopsies determined that the remains were those of a young girl of African American descent between the ages of 4-7. Evidence determined that the child was malnourished and had a visible deformity on her left eye, which could have been natural or caused by an injury or abuse. Detectives looked into school or birth records to identify the victim, but nothing could be linked to her. Isotope tests were also done on the victim’s bones, which determined that she was from Southeastern United States.

Facial reconstruction of Opelika Jane Doe

Despite their tests, detectives were unable to identify the child, which led to her being known as Opelika Jane Doe or Baby Jane Doe. In September 2016, a former bible teacher at Greater Peace Church in Opelika provided law enforcement with photos of a young girl that attended the church that resembled the Opelika Jane Doe. The photos were taken in the summer of 2011, and the child was between 4-5 years old. The teacher stated that the child was very reserved and had trouble communicating with other children. The church was also 10 minutes away from where Opelika Jane Doe’s remains were found. Despite this strong lead, it did not lead to the identification of the Jane Doe.

Photos of the young girl from the church

As time passed, the Opelika Police Department teamed up with Othram laboratories to use advanced DNA testing and genetic genealogy to try and identify the child. In January 2022, Opelika Jane Doe’s remains were sent to Othram’s laboratory in Woodland, Texas to build a genetic profile of the victim. In January 2023, Othram labs confirmed that the remains of Opelika Jane Doe belonged to 5 year old Amore Joveah Wiggins. Her father Lamar Vickerstaff was identified in October 2022 before her remains were. At the time of the identification, Lamar was stationed at Mayport Naval Station in Jacksonville. Detectives went to where Lamar was stationed to inform him of the discovery of the remains possibly connected to him. However, Lamar did not provide them with any information of his daughter’s identification and claimed that he did not know Sherry Wiggins when asked of her significance.

After Sherry was identified as the child’s mother, she too was informed of her possible connection to the remains. She was asked if she knew anyone named Lamar Vickerstaff, to which she replied yes. She was then informed of the Opelika Jane Doe whose case had been unsolved for nearly 10 years. Sherry lived hundreds of miles away from where Amore’s remains were found and had no knowledge of the Opelika Jane Doe case. After her issues with fighting to regain custody of Amore, Sherry decided to wait until Amore turned 18, that way she wouldn’t have to worry about taking Lamar to court. Unfortunately, Amore did not live to see 18 and her mother was unaware of her daughter’s death for over 10 years. Sherry states that she wishes Ruth or Lamar would have reached out and returned Amore to her if things were too difficult and they couldn’t take care of her.

After Amore’s remains were confirmed, her father Lamar Vickerstaff was arrested on January 17, 2023 and charged for felony murder; he and his wife Ruth were also charged with failing to report a missing child.

It is heartbreaking that Amore’s young life was taken, and by someone who was supposed to love and protect her. Amore deserved a chance at her life. Her mother Sherry has set up a GoFundMe to raise funds for Amore’s burial and law expenses. I hope that Amore’s identification can help bring her mother some closure and heal from such a tragedy.

Amore’s GoFundMe-

https://www.gofundme.com/f/opelika-baby-jane-doe?utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet&utm_content=undefined&utm_medium=copy_link_all&utm_source=customer&utm_term=undefined

Resources-

https://www.wsfa.com/2023/01/25/i-pray-that-he-suffers-amore-wiggins-mother-shares-feelings-toward-childs-father/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Amore_Wiggins

The Angel of the Meadow

The Angel of the Meadow is the name given to an unidentified murder victim that was discovered in Angel Meadow, Manchester, UK in 2010. Although she was discovered in 2010, the victim is presumed to have died sometime between 1970-1980 at 18-35 years old. Due to the extensive decomposition of the remains and the time it took to be discovered, solving this case has come with some difficulties.

On January 25, 2010, a group of workmen were preparing a site for redevelopment located between Angel Street, Dantzic Street, and Miller Street in Manchester, England. This area is known locally as Angel Meadow, a notorious victorian slum. During the preparation, a workman noticed a scull in the area. This led to the discovery of a human skeleton hidden underneath sections of a blue carpet. The police were soon called to the scene.

The victim’s autopsy revealed that they were a female between the ages of 18-35 when she was killed sometime between 1970-1980. She is believed to have been born between 1950-1954 and was between 5’1″ or 5’7″ tall. She is thought to be of European, Indian, or Middle Eastern descent, and also had notable dental work done. The victim suffered a fractured neck, clavicle, and jaw. Without an identity, law enforcement began to refer to the victim as the Angel of the Meadow.

Several items were found near the victim’s body, including: a plastic Guinness measuring chart from the late 1960s, an orange patterned carpet, dark blue and blue carpets, tights, part of a stiletto shoe, and a handbag. One of the carpet pieces was thought to possibly be from a Ford Cortina, with it being noted that it had a cut from the gear stick.

In May of 2011, law enforcement released a sketch of what the victim possibly looked like. Police confirmed that the victim’s dentistry did not match some of the records of victims who had gone missing in that area. DNA analysis’s were also done to determine if the victim was killed by some known serial killers, like Peter Tobin or Ronald Castree; there were no connections found.

Facial reconstruction of the Angel of the Meadow

In 2012, police announced that they created a list of over 20 potential identities for the Angel of the Meadow. Their strongest lead was a victim from Tanzania after a Tanzanian family made contact regarding the case. However, these did not lead to any identifications.

In March 2015, the Angel of the Meadow was buried in Southern Cemetery, Manchester, with only the 2 detectives working on the case attending the funeral. This same month, police confirmed hat a DNA profile for the victim was created and familial DNA testing had begun to possibly trace the victim’s identity.

There are still so many questions surrounding the Angel of the Meadow case. It is difficult that the victim’s remains were found decades after she was killed but with the new technology available now, there may be more advantages in finding out who this victim is, what happened to her, and who killed her.

Resources-

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angel_of_the_Meadow

https://unidentified-awareness.fandom.com/wiki/Angel_of_the_Meadow

The American Psycho: Crimes of Herbert Baumeister

Herbert Baumeister was an infamous serial killer and businessman who was active between 1980 and 1996, predominately targeting gay men. After his crimes were revealed, Herbert died by suicide before he could go to trial.

Herbert Richard Baumeister was born on April 7, 1947 in Indianapolis, Indiana. In his early childhood, Herbert exhibited behaviors characterized with Anti-Social Personality Disorder, such as playing with dead animals and urinating on his teacher’s desk. In his teens, Herbert was diagnosed with schizophrenia, but did not receive treatment for this.

Herbert Baumeister attended Indiana University in 1965, later dropping out and attending Butler University in 1972. During his career life, Herbert was known for having a strong work ethic, but exhibited odd behavior. Herbert went on to found the successful chain thrift store called Sav-A-Lot in 1988.

In November of 1971, Herbert married Jauliana Saiter, and went on to have 3 children with her. After Herbert’s case went public, Juliana revealed that they were only intimate about 6 times in their 25 year marriage. In the 1970s, Herbert’s father committed him to a psychiatric hospital several times, as his wife claimed that he was hurting and needed help.

In the early 1990s, Indianapolis became rocked by the frequent disappearances of gay men in the area who were all similar in height, weight, and age. Detectives began investigating the disappearances and received a tip from someone. In 1992, a man named Tony Harris claimed that another man whom identified himself as “Brain Smart” killed his friend and attempted to kill him during an erotic asphyxiation session. Tony saw the man again at the same gay bar in August 1995; he followed the man and took his license plate number. The license plate information revealed this man’s real name: Herbert Baumeister.

Herbert Baumeister in an unrelated interview

Investigators wanted to search the Baumeister farm and interview Herbert, but he refused and did not want to cooperate. Despite being originally uncomfortable of allowing the investigators to search their property, Juliana Baumeister later revealed to detectives that in December of 1994, she found what she thought was possibly human remains on a section of the property. These remains included a scull and bones. She notified her husband, but he claimed the skull belonged to his father, who was a physician. Juliana stated that she never saw the remains again after that.

With this information, investigators began digging on the Baumeister property. This investigation uncovered the remains of 11 men, 8 of which have been identified as: John Lee Bayer (20), Richard Douglas Hamilton (20), Steven S Hale (26), Allen Wayne Broussard (28), Jeffrey A Jones (31), Manuel Resendez (31), Roger Allen Goodlet (33), and Michael Frederick Kiern (46). The other 2 bodies remain unidentified.

Days after the bodies were found, a warrant for Herbert’s arrest was released. Herbert then fled to Ontario, Canada, and killed himself with a gunshot to the head in Pinery Provincial Park on July 3, 1996. He left a suicide note, claiming his failing marriage and business drove him to suicide. However, his note did not reveal any confession to the murders of the men found on his property.

Following his death, Herbert was also suspected to be the I-70 strangler, a murderer that killed 12 young men along Interstate 70, between Indianapolis and Columbus, Ohio sometime between 1980-1991. An eyewitness claims that he saw Herbert leaving a bar in 1983 with 22 year old Michael Riley, who was later found strangled to death and nude in a river. Despite the suspicions of Herbert’s involvement, the I-70 murders remain unsolved. As of 2022, investigators are still searching Herbert Baumeister’s property as new remains are still being discovered.

The crimes of Herbert Baumeister doesn’t seem to get as much media coverage as other cases of serial killers, like Jeffery Dahmer or Ted Bundy. I personally had never even heard the name Herbert Baumeister until just a few days ago. Although he was not formally convicted for his crimes, I believe the evidence and the circumstances surrounding this case reveal that Herbert is the obvious perpetrator. I believe it is important to bring cases like this to light to help and solve other cases, like giving the 2 remaining victims their names back, or finding the true identity of the I-70 killer. Do you think that Herbert Baumeister was responsible for more murders? Do you think he is the person behind the I-70 killings? Leave your thoughts below.

Resources-

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herb_Baumeister

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I-70_Strangler

https://youtu.be/nK92FM8Ffj8

https://youtu.be/0zT9HlM28Mk

https://youtu.be/XB4bCXY-fxU

https://youtu.be/5J8F-5xD0ZY

https://youtu.be/Y3quprQlOXI

The Murder of Latanisha Carmichael

Latanisha Carmichael was a 3 year old girl who was beaten to death by her mother and older brother in 1979. Her case went unknown until her twin brother contacted the police with suspicions of her disappearance in early 2000.

Latanisha Carmichael was born in 1976, and had a twin brother named Andre. She also had 2 older siblings, a sister named Sabrina and a brother named Gregory. Their home was described as a place of constant abuse at the hands of their mother Madeline and brother Gregory, who was 19. Latanisha soon became a vague memory to her brother Andre after she seemingly disappeared at just 3 years old.

Growing up, Andre and Sabrina were rarely allowed to leave their home unless it was for school. They also were not allowed to have any friends or see relatives. Andre first began suspecting his sister’s death when he was 12 years old after his visiting aunt asked him about her. After some confusion, Andre asked his mother about his aunt’s question, to which she beat him. After years of abuse, Sabrina and Andre were eventually put into foster care.

When he was 22, Andre married a woman and went on to have a daughter with her. Despite the abuse he went through, he wanted to introduce his baby to his mother Madeline. However, after 1 visit, Madeline demanded that he wouldn’t bring the baby over anymore. She went on to tell her daughter Sabrina that the baby, “resembles someone,” and brought back too many bad memories.

Andre began going to his sister Sabrina about his speculations, but she denied his suspicions. It wasn’t until after his 3rd time asking, Sabrina shared the details of what happened to Latanisha.

Sabrina first made Andre sign a contract stating he wouldn’t share the details she was about to give him. She then went on to detail what happened to the 3 year old girl. Sabrina stated that in November 1979 when she was 8 years old, she witnessed their mother and brother kill Latanisha. Sabrina stated that as she was eating breakfast, her mother was also feeding little Latanisha. She stated that Latanisha became ill and vomited on the kitchen floor, angering their mother Madeline. Their mother then began brutally beating Latanisha. Their brother Gregory joined in on the beating as he was angry he had to clean up her vomit. The young child died because of her injuries. After her death, Madeline then wrapped her body in plastic, put it in a trunk, and hid it in a closet. Latanisha’s body remained there for nearly 20 years until investigators searched the house and found her.

Sabrina stated that she did not speak up before out of fear for her life as well. She went on to say that although their home was abusive, she still had pleasent memories with her mother. She also didn’t want to lose her family bonds because of something she viewed as an accident.

After learning this information, Andre immediately went to the police. Andre began to recall memories of his mother and older brother beating him to keep him away from the closet his sister was hidden in. He also stated that there were often incense sticks and baking soda near the closet to keep the smell away.

After Andre’s reports, law enforcement began their investigation into the case. They found the record of Andre and Latanisha’s birth, but as the years went on, they could only find records for Andre, but none for Latanisha past November 1979. Investigators then went to the home of Madeline and stated they were looking for Latanisha. Madeline responded stating that Latanisha moved out of town and she hadn’t seen her in 23 years.

The investigators obviously didn’t buy her claim, so they began searching the house. They found the closet, which had been closed off like Andre stated. Despite Madeline trying to stop them from further searching, the investigators broke into the closet. They then found the trunk with Latanisha’s remains inside of it.

Madeline and her son Gregory, who were 61 and 38 were arrested for Latanisha’s murder in 2000. During their trial, their defense tried to claim that there was no way to determine if Latanisha was beaten to death and her death could have been an accident. The trunk that held Latanisha’s remains was shown in court during the trial, reminding everyone that a young child’s remains were put in there for over 20 years. Both Madeline and Gregory were sentenced to 15 years to life in prison on October 24, 2000. Madeline died of cancer 2 years into her sentence. Andre and Sabrina went on to write a book about their sister’s murder titled Family Skeleton: A Brother and Sister’s Journey from Murder to Truth.

It’s really disturbing how a person who’s supposed to care for and love their child can beat and kill them, and continue to live with their body in the same home with seemingly no remorse. Latanisha and her siblings were supposed to be loved and cared for by their mother and older brother. Absolutely nothing can justify the murder of a child. I’m glad that Latanisha’s story was brought to light, and by her own siblings at that, and she was given justice.

Resources-

https://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=95415&page=1

https://vocal.media/criminal/latanisha-carmichael