WESTFIELD, Ind. – After over two decades since their discovery, human remains found at a property in Westfield, Indiana in 1996 have been positively identified as belonging to Manuel Resendez. The property was previously owned by Herb Baumeister, one of Indiana’s infamous serial killers.
The announcement of the identification was made by Hamilton County Coroner Jeff Jellison. According to the coroner, the identification of Resendez was the result of the collaborative effort of many forensic experts working to identify the nearly 10,000 human remains recovered from Fox Hollow Farm.
Resendez had been reported missing in August 1993, shedding light on a case that had remained unresolved for nearly three decades. The property where the remains were found belonged to Baumeister, who was suspected of killing at least 25 young men and potentially many more. It is believed that Baumeister frequented gay bars and lured men back to his home before killing them.
The identification of Resendez brings closure to a case that has haunted the community for years. Authorities had focused on Baumeister in 1996, after his son found a skull in the family’s backyard. Baumeister ultimately fled to the Canadian border, where he took his own life.
Upon the announcement of the identification, Jellison expressed gratitude to the law enforcement and forensic specialists who worked tirelessly on the case. It is thanks to their dedication that Resendez’s remains have finally been identified after all these years.