Nearly 30 years after one of America’s most gruesome serial killer cases first made headlines, another victim has finally been identified. The remains of Daniel Thomas Halloran, a man missing for decades, have now been confirmed as one of the victims of Herb Baumeister, the suspected serial killer linked to as many as 25 murders at his Indiana estate, Fox Hollow Farm.
Who Was Daniel Halloran?
Born in 1972, Halloran was just 20-something when he disappeared. Authorities never had him on their radar as a potential victim of Baumeister, and his case went cold until genetic genealogy testing revealed the shocking truth.
According to Hamilton County Coroner Jeff Jellison, Halloran had no siblings and his parents were both deceased. But a crucial breakthrough came from a DNA card kept by the Indianapolis coroner, which included the DNA of Halloran’s late mother. Scientists were able to match Halloran’s DNA to hers, confirming his identity.
How Was He Identified?
The identification was made possible through advanced forensic DNA testing conducted by Othram Inc., a Texas-based forensic genealogy lab. Halloran is now the 10th person to be officially identified among the victims discovered at Baumeister’s estate.
“This is a significant development,” Jellison said. “We’re grateful for the expertise of Othram and the advances in forensic science that made this possible.”
Daughter Finally Gets Answers
Halloran’s daughter, Coral Halloran, now 32, was just two years old when her father vanished. She told local news outlet 13News that she had long hoped her dad would come back into her life.
“All my life, I kind of expected my dad to be around and one day hoping he’d come try to find me,” Coral said. The identification, while providing closure, has left her grieving the father she never knew. “It makes me sick and weary to my stomach,” she said, “having to know my dad was brutally murdered.”
Who Was Herb Baumeister?
Herb Baumeister was a successful Indianapolis businessman and family man who led a secret double life. Between the late 1980s and early 1990s, he is believed to have lured gay men to his home under false pretenses, where he murdered them and disposed of their remains across the 18-acre Fox Hollow Farm property.
His crimes came to light in 1994, when his teenage son found human remains on their land. In 1996, after police officially named him as a suspect and uncovered thousands of bone fragments, Baumeister fled to Canada, where he died by suicide before he could be charged.
He left no confession note, and many of his victims’ identities remained unknown—until now.
What’s Next
With Halloran’s identification, four more victims are now in focus—three remain unidentified, with their DNA profiles recently extracted. Coroner Jellison says these identifications are happening rapidly, thanks to evolving technology.
“These are breakthroughs coming in a two- to three-month time period,” Jellison said.
Jellison also confirmed that up to 25 victims may have been buried at Fox Hollow Farm, meaning many families are still waiting for answers.
Identified Victims of Herb Baumeister
With Halloran now confirmed, the ten known victims are:
Daniel Thomas Halloran
- Jeffrey Allen “Jeff” Jones
- Allen Lee Livingston
- Manuel Resendez
- John Lee “Johnny” Bayer
- Richard Douglas Hamilton Jr.
- Steven Spurlin Hale
- Allen Wayne Broussard
- Roger Allen Goodlet
- Michael Frederick “Mike” Keirn
The re-identification of Daniel Halloran offers long-overdue answers to his daughter and marks a key milestone in the decades-long investigation into one of Indiana’s darkest criminal cases. With modern forensic tools, authorities hope to bring justice and closure to more families of Baumeister’s suspected victims.
