The Garden of Evil: The True Story of Herb Baumeister and The Disturbing Horror at The Fox Hollow Farm

True Crime Explicit #9

by Genoveva Ortiz, True Crime Seven

Meet the I-70 Strangler who threw away eleven bodies like yesterday’s garbage in this chilling true crime expose.

Herb Baumeister - known by those closest to him as a successful businessman, family man, and later, one of America's most notorious serial killers. But there must be a reason for such a transition, right?

While eleven murders are ultimately attributed to him, many believe he could be responsible for a lot more deaths.

But who is Herb Baumeister, really? Read this book and uncover the horror he visited on his victims while living a convincing double life as a contributing member of society. This story proves that sometimes the people we know or love the most might be monsters simmering just under the surface.

Start your exploration now, and you might never see people the same ever again.

Genres: True Crime

126 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 6, 2023

Reviews

[LibraryCin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Herb Baumeister was a psychopath who likely started killing in the 70s. He was a closeted gay man who occasionally frequented gay bars (even though he was married), not only for “illicit” sex, but to find victims. He was an odd child, with an odd sense of humour, and he grew up to be an odd man, who often put people off.

This is another in a series of true crime books meant for readers who may not be as strong, and I think some people notice it, but I don’t (I’ve read a few in the series now). It is shorter, though, so things move quickly in the book… It’s an interesting story. Making me wonder if I should pick up another book about this guy. They don’t even know how many people he might have killed – they have confirmed eight and it might be as high as twenty. There is one serial killer dubbed the I-70 killer and I don’t believe that case was ever closed, but some think Herb was the killer there, as well.

[Lori L (She Treads Softly) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Garden of Evil: The True Story of Herb Baumeister and The Disturbing Horror at The Fox Hollow Farm by Genoveva Ortiz is a very highly recommended true crime story. Herb Baumeister was a successful businessman, family man, and the I-70 Strangler. Eleven murders are attributed to him but he could be responsible for more deaths. He prowled the streets and highways around Indianapolis looking for boys and men to fulfill his heinous desires.

Herb was born in 1947, the oldest of five children. His father was an anesthesiologist and the family first lived in Westfield, a well-to-do suburb north of Indianapolis, Indiana. His childhood was normal and he was well liked. Herb's personality began to change after puberty and his sense of humor included more disturbing jokes that were morbid. He was a weird awkward high schooler, and struggled after graduation for several years before he met his future wife and settled down.

His early married life had a troubled start. He was hospitalized for a time diagnosed with schizophrenia, but once he left the hospital life seemed to go better and the couple had three children. By all outward appearances he was a hard working family man, however, Herb would still secretly go to the bars in Indianapolis looking for men to pick up. This double life eventually led to the more nefarious desire to murder and Herb became one of America's most notorious serial killers.

True Crime Seven includes a note explaining the style of their books at the beginning which makes it clear to readers that all of their true crime books are written in an accessible style for a variety of reading levels and are meant to be short. True Crime readers looking for a deep dive into and examination of every fact and aspect of a particular person might want more, but those who are just interested in knowing the basic facts and details of a case will appreciate the brevity and easy to read style. It makes the pages fly by while allowing you to learn all the details.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of True Crime Seven via LibraryThing.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2023/0...

[Grady · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘No one suspected anything was amiss’ - The life of a brutal serial killer well told

Author Genoveva Ortiz is a significant contributor to the True Crime Seven team – a cluster of authors who delve into the heinous crimes of the past and mold them into stories that become vivid as reportage while being entertaining as reading adventures. The goal: ‘to simply explore and tell the stories of various killers in the world: from unknown murderers to infamous serial killers.’ This particular series is called TRUE CRIME EXPLICIT and to date the books are THE VAMPIRE OF SACRAMENTO, THE BUTCHER BAKER, THE BUTCHER OF HUMANITY, THE CORPSE COLLECTOR, THE HOUSE FROM HELL, THE DEADLY SOAP-MAKER OF CORREGGIO, THE DOCTOR FROM HELL, THE FARM FROM HELL, and now THE GARDEN OF EVIL.

Genoveva knows well how to pull the reader into her terrifying biographies of killers as she introduces Herb Baumeister - ‘Herb seemed to have the perfect American life. Born into an upper middle-class family in the mid-century, he had all the advantages one could ask for…Baumeister seemed to have changed from an awkward teen to a responsible man after just a few bumps in the road. He married a nice woman and had three happy children. He ran a thriving business that raised money tor charity….a pillar of the affluent community…Nobody knew that he had ever been attracted to men…Yet he prowled the streets of Indianapolis, searching for boys to do unspeakable things to… Herb developed his real passion: dead bodies…’ His serial murders are explained as, ‘What he wanted all this time was not just the touch of a man. He wanted a man’s body, pale, lifeless, and all to himself.’ And all the acts of this ‘I-70 Strangler are offered n detail and with insight. This fine series – True Crime Explicit – expands the purview of crime novels by the True Crime Seven, terrifying facts related in a manner that allows the reader to enter the minds of the perpetrators.

[Deirdre · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Monster's Mask Slips

What can I say? Genoveva Ortiz has done it again. Taking apart the life of a monster. Showing how he was created and how his horrific murderous deeds impacted so many families including his own. I found it very enlightening the way she linked Herb Baumeister to others murdered young men whose bodies weren't found on the infamous farm.
Thanks to DNA, just like John Wayne Gacy's victims continue to be identified decades later. Bringing closure but definitely not peace to the families of the now named victims of a couple of monsters who targeted young men. These vulnerable young men had no idea what accepting a ride or going to the house of these psychopaths meant.
If you are a true crime fan this book shows you what happens when the monster's mask slips.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Herb's story was certainly more odd and nauseating than all of the previous books. He was a unique character and had a much different upbringing than the subjects of the books before, so it was interesting to read about his mental state and increasingly dark behaviors. There didn't seem to be a genesis and that made it even more curious. The dual murder mysteries described within these pages really added to the deep sense of the unknown. The way this one came to its conclusion was also fairly intense. I just might have to check out Green's account of this killer next for additional information.

[Beverly Laude · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a well-written quick look at the horrific crimes of Herb Baumeister. The author has done a good job of giving the reader a concise overview of his crimes. These types of true crime books are definitely not an exhaustive study of the subject, but a good way to explore it.

If you want a detailed look at the crimes, this book is not for you. But, if you want "Just the facts", give it a go.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful overview of the crimes of Herbert Baumeister. It's just right for a true crime fan to get a taste to see if they want to delve deeper. It's also perfect for the reader with an interest in true crime but not with all of the dry details of the case. I recommend this book.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[B L Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing Detail !

I once delivered to this house (for Amazon) and wanted more detail on Herb. I've watched the documentaries and seen the Ghost Hunters episode. I even spoke to one of the people who live there. And despite doing my own research, nothing compares to the detail in this book. It was a solid read and I do recommend. I'll also note, the writer is exceptional.

[Sharee · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Garden of Evil is another great addition to the True Crime series by Genoveva Ortiz and it offered the introduction to a serial killer I’d never heard of, Herb Baumeister. The son of a doctor, Herb’s strange obsessions and humor left people uncomfortable around him. But as a typical psychopath, he learned to adapt and eventually married, yet he still found a way to engage in his nefarious desires. Deemed the I-70 Strangler, Herb killed more than 11 men, though that may not be the full body count. This is a twisted story that keeps you turning the pages with the light on!

[Pat Eroh · Rating 5 out of 5]

truly depraved

It never ceases to amaze me the level of depravity that people go to and for such meaningless things. That the murdered were people with dreams and people who loved them, at least a few of them did, makes this so difficult. Awesomely written and described.

[Misty Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

story on tv

The book mentioned about this story being on GHOST ADVENTURES. I believe I’ve seen that episode. This book tells a more detailed story of how he became the way he was. Very good read

[Les Hettinger · Rating 2 out of 5]

No detail

Too much detail was missing from the story. Was nothing more than a newspaper account. I can not recommend this book.

[Connie Kerr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suspence

Fascinated by true crime but read about these true stories anyway. This was easy to follow. I recommend this report to others .

[Lisa Gatts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Garden of Evil

This was a very good book even though I had heard about it before.This is the 2nd book I read in the series.Moving on to read the rest.

[Chad Sexton · Rating 2 out of 5]

too much of nothing

Too much added detail. I read these because they’re short reads, but why add unneeded detail, and excerpts from another book! Too much of nothing.

[Mollee Lemons · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was CRAZY!! This book is about Herb Baumeister and his splurge of killing gay men while trying to live a normal life with his wife and children. Herb grew up as a very strange child. Always wanting to play with dead animals and feel their stiff bodies up against his. As he grew older his obsession moved away from dead animals to dead bodies. Herb went on a killing spree, luring gay men into the car with him and then once he was pleased sexually by them, he killed them. Most of them he set on fire at his family farm and left all of their bones on his property.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was an amazing overview of the crimes committed by Herbert Baumeister and the events that occurred at Fox Hollow Farm.
Even as a true crime enthusiast, I often find myself needing to look up definitions of jargon used, but that was not an issue I ran into in this book. It was a cohesive and easy to follow description and timeline.
A very nice and enjoyable (that seems like the wrong word though given the contents of this book) read. I also thought that it was interesting that the Ghost Adventures episode was mentioned because I do recall seeing that in the past.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Valorie Dalton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've never heard of Herbert Baumeister or the I-70 Slasher, so I was eager to dive into the world and mind of a serial killer unknown to me. Immediately, I really liked the narrative style of the book. It read like a story and not just a collection of scattered facts and details, which gave the book a cohesiveness that helped the scattered evidence and remnants flow together into a continuing account. The authors also did not fall into the common trap of trying to psychoanalyze the killer, which gave the book more credibility to me. It presented chronological facts, explained pertinent details, and shared what insight it could into the mind of the deeply disturbed man it focuses on. I wish there were more first-hand accounts of people who had interacted with Herbert or even just knew him in passing, but there was enough to provide a solid story. This was a great, informative, narrative true crime book and I read this book in one sitting (rather, one laying as I was in bed).

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.