If you’re wondering how to watch the Herb Baumeister documentary following the recent news on the case, here’s what you need to know, including if it’s on Netflix.
In the era of new true crime, cults and pop culture scandals have dominated the genre of late, whether that be ID’s Quiet on Set and Fallen Idols or Netflix’s Dancing for the Devil deep dive into the 7M TikTok cult and HBO’s Love Has Won series.
Although it’s a divisive topic, there remains to be a macabre demand for serial killer documentaries, ones that explore some of the darkest moments in US history caused by criminals such as Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer.
A lesser-known name in this realm is Herb Baumeister, a suspected serial killer who hit the headlines this month as a result of a shocking discovery. If you want to learn more, here’s how to watch the Baumeister documentary. Warning: Some may find this content distressing.
How to watch the Herb Baumeister documentary
The Herb Baumeister documentary The Haunting of Fox Hollow Farm is available to watch for free on Tubi.
Alternatively, it can be rented or purchased via on-demand platforms including Amazon Prime Video.
Is it on Netflix?
There are currently no documentaries or series based on the crimes of Herb Baumeister on Netflix.
We’ll be sure to keep this space updated if the situation changes.
What is it about?
The Haunting of Fox Hollow Farm isn’t a straightforward account of Baumeister’s crimes, but instead centers on paranormal investigators as they explore his home.
Directed by Dan T. Hall, the 2011 independently produced film was shot at the suspected serial killer’s quiet estate north of Indianapolis, the same place where authorities uncovered 5,000 human bone fragments in the late ‘90s.
Investigators and the home’s owners at the time recount eerie experiences and supernatural phenomena, seeking to uncover whether the spirits of Baumeister’s victims still linger at the property.
As a result of this Ghost Hunters style format, The Haunting of Fox Hollow Farm didn’t go down too well with audiences, earning just 26% on Rotten Tomatoes.
“Quick jump cuts, slow motion and night vision interviews does not automatically make for an eerie documentary experience,” said one viewer, while another wrote, “Much of it was shot with lighting used by paranormal investigators who were trying to contact either his victims or Baumeister himself… All of it could have been faked.”
Not everyone agreed, however, including this person who said, “There are some neat moments captured on film, and a lot of recording, and yet no solid evidence. Not the best editing, or most believable crew, but it’s creepy documented fun.”
What did he do?
Herb Baumeister was an American suspected serial killer who is believed to have murdered at least 12 men in the 1990s. He is thought to have preyed on gay bars to find his victims. However, when police issued a warrant for his arrest, he fled to Ontario and died by suicide.
Born in 1947 in Indianapolis, Indiana, Baumeister went on to marry Juliana “Julie” Saiter in November 1971, having three children. After drifting through various job positions, he founded the successful thrift store chain Sav-A-Lot in 1988, at around the same time he purchased Fox Hollow Farm property.
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But beneath this exterior, Baumeister was suspected of luring young men to his home, where he would allegedly murder them before disposing of their bodies in the grounds of his estate.
In 1994, Baumeister’s son discovered a human skeleton while playing in the backyard. When Julie asked him about it, he claimed it had belonged to his father, an anesthesiologist, and that he’d been asked to dispose of it.
Julie was concerned about her husband’s behavior, so much so that she decided to take the children to the family’s lakeside home over the summer.
The police got involved as a series of young men went missing in the area, launching an investigation in the early ‘90s. The case took a turn when a man named Tony Harris told officers about a violent sexual encounter he managed to escape from involving a man who called himself “Brian Smart.”
Authorities were able to identify Smart as Baumeister, approaching him and asking to search his property. Although he and Julie initially refused, she eventually became so concerned with his erratic behavior that she allowed them to go ahead.
By the time a warrant was issued for Baumeister’s arrest, he’d fled to Ontario, Canada, where he died by suicide by shooting himself in the head with a handgun. Although he left a lengthy suicide note, he never confessed to any crimes.
In June 1996, just before Baumeister’s death, detectives uncovered thousands of bone fragments buried in the grounds of Fox Hollow Farm.
What’s the latest in the case?
In 2022, Hamilton County Coroner Jeff Jellison launched a renewed effort to identify the victims from the thousands of charred bone fragments that were placed in storage. So far, the number of victims has been pushed up to 12, although police believe there could be at least 25.
“Because many of the remains were found burnt and crushed, this investigation is extremely challenging; however, the team of law enforcement and forensic specialists working the case remain committed,” he told CBS affiliate WTTV.
So far, the Hamilton County Coroner’s Office has identified three additional victims from the human remains originally recovered in 1996. The latest, announced in May 2024, belonged to Jeffrey Jones, a 31-year-old man who went missing in 1993.
According to Jellison, investigators have four additional DNA profiles that have not yet been identified, bringing the total number of victims to 12. The four unidentified DNA profiles will also be sent to the FBI for genetic genealogy investigation.
Are there other documentaries about him?
If you want a more straightforward account of Baumeister’s crimes, there is a 52-minute documentary titled WRTV Presents: Forgotten at Fox Hollow, the Victims of an Indiana Serial Killer.
It’s currently available to watch in full on YouTube, which you can find here.
For more true crime, read about 50 Cent’s P Diddy documentary, how to watch the Burning Sun documentary in the US, and whether Ashley Madison’s Sam and Nia Rader are still together.
