Fox Hollow Farm - New Evidence and Theories
I finally watched the new episode about the Fox Hollow Farm murders and, wow, there’s a lot to unpack here. If you haven’t read my article about the first season of this documentary, please click here to go back and read that first. There is an overall breakdown of the case in that article that I will not be including in this one. If you have not watched this documentary, what are you waiting for?? This is one of the most fascinating documentaries I have ever seen and that’s saying a lot because I can’t tell you how many true crime documentaries I’ve watched over the years. It’s available on Hulu and I highly recommend you go watch it.
The follow-up episode of the original documentary starts off with Jeff Jellison, the coroner from season one, stating that immediately after the first season of the documentary aired, new tips and information started coming in. He says this new information and new evidence uncovered strongly supports the theory that Herb Baumeister did have an accomplice, but it wasn’t Mark Goodyear. It’s important to note that excavations continue on the farm and all resources are being used to identify the remains, including genealogy. Also, please remember that this is an open investigation and this article contains my thoughts and beliefs only! No one has been charged in connection with these crimes.
New Information
The journalist Laura Musall appeared in season one and is a major component of the follow-up episode. She obtained the Fox Hollow Farm case file and what she found inside is equal parts astonishing and confusing. It’s important to note that some components of the files are missing, but there’s enough there for Musall to come up with a third suspect in this case; Thomas Ackerman. That’s a name we didn’t hear at all in season one so what brings Musall to this conclusion? There are three victims found at Fox Hollow Farm linked directly to Ackerman. I will refer to these victims as Victim 1, Victim 2 and Victim 3, but please note that is not necessarily where they fall in the larger picture of the Fox Hollow crimes. I also want to make clear that these men were known prostitutes prior to going missing.
Victim 1 was initially reported missing by Ackerman. While speaking with police, Ackerman confessed to having a romantic relationship with the victim even though he was a married man. Police later learn that Ackerman was the last person to see Victim 1 alive when he left Ackerman’s apartment to buy more alcohol. He was never seen again. Police later spoke with Ackerman in a phone interview, but never pursued further investigation into Ackerman. In that phone call, Ackerman stated a psychic told him that Victim 1 was dead and his remains could be found in a shallow grave in a wooded area near water. I think it’s important to note that Victim 1’s body was found in a shallow grave in the woods on Fox Hollow Farm by a creek. Victim 2 was seen by a friend getting into a powder blue Chevrolet Impala. The witness described the driver as balding and between the ages of 40 and 50. That description, though vague, would fit Ackerman and he owned a powder blue Chevrolet Impala at the time. Victim 2 was never seen again until his remains were found at Fox Hollow Farm.
Finally, Victim 3 was a known associate of Ackerman and went missing in the same area as Victim 1 (near Ackerman’s apartment). Ackerman bailed him out of jail and then Victim 3 was never seen again until his remains were also found at Fox Hollow Farm. A year after Victim 3 went missing, Ackerman was pulled over by police for a traffic violation. Found inside the car is cocaine, a shovel, blood-stained blankets and state park maps. Police then obtained a search warrant for his home, but no further investigation was pursued and no charges were ever filed against Ackerman. There is additional new information given in the episode, but that will come into play a little later in the article.
My New Theories
Herb, Mark and Ackerman were acting together to kidnap young men and make snuff films.
Ackerman has victims buried in state parks that are his alone.
Herb’s wife, Julie, suspects and/or knows more than she’s telling.
I know those may seem a little off the wall, but let’s look at the evidence that supports my theories. We’ll start with Julie and how I believe she at least suspects, if not knows, more than she’s telling. Included in the police file obtained by Musall, there was a recording of the Oprah Winfrey Show where Julie was being interviewed. When asked if she thought her husband committed the murders, Julie responded that she doesn’t believe all of the evidence has been found yet so she doesn’t have an answer. To me, that’s a wild thing to say when tens of thousands of remains have been found on your property. What more could you possibly need? Unless you know there’s more to be uncovered. I realize I’m running with a single statement here, but that’s really all we have to go on in this case. Let me know in the comments if you think her response means something different. My second theory is that Ackerman has victims buried in state parks that Mark and Herb may not have been involved in at all. I say that because of what was found in his car during the traffic stop. A shovel, bloody blankets and state park maps? That’s a wee bit suspicious. If the victims were being killed on the property and the bodies were being dumped in the woods on Fox Hollow Farm after being burned, why would Ackerman have those items in his car? There would be no need to transport a body somewhere else for disposal. I believe he was committing other murders away from Fox Hollow on his own and dumping the bodies in a different location, presumably state parks.
Finally, I believe Herb, Mark and Ackerman were all working together to make snuff films. This is a big one so let’s break it up. First, why do I believe Ackerman was involved with Herb and Mark? Because three men who were last seen alive by Ackerman had their remains discovered on Fox Hollow Farm. I don’t believe that’s a coincidence. Ackerman owned a blue care while neither Herb nor Mark did. A former Indianapolis detective interviewed in this new episode stated that one thing she learned in her career is that the men who pick up other men, all talk to each other. They warn each other about certain prostitutes and agree on a maximum amount they will pay for prostitutes in general. This leads me to believe that Herb, Mark and Ackerman at least knew each other and communicated. In one of his statements to police, Mark said, “There’s more than one out there and they do know one another” referring to men like Herb who he believed was responsible for some of the missing men. I know Mark is a proven liar, but as I stated in my last article, he likes to leave little breadcrumbs for you to follow and I think that statement could be one of them. I also do not think it’s a coincidence that Mark only agreed to show his face on camera after Ackerman’s death. When asked in the initial documentary interview why he was showing his face now, he replied that there was a time when people were alive that scared him. That interview was filmed in early 2024 and Ackerman died in late 2023. If you have three men working together to commit these horrific crimes, there’s mutually assured destruction between them. Meaning that one can’t turn on the others without implicating themselves. I think Mark only felt free to talk after both Herb and Ackerman were dead which further insinuates that they were a team.
Now, why do I think they were making snuff films? A few reasons. One, we know from season one of the documentary that Herb liked to film videos. A point I thought was useless at the time, but we know that his camera and some of his video tapes were missing when police served a search warrant on Fox Hollow. Two, we learn in the new episode that Mark had told police in one of his statements that Herb was making snuff films. Again, I know Mark isn’t the most trustworthy historian, but that seems like a crazy thing to make up and add to the story. It was enough for the police that Herb supposedly murdered these men, Mark didn’t need to add that snuff films were involved. In my opinion, that’s another breadcrumb Mark left for us to follow. I believe they all took turns bringing young men to Fox Hollow and filming their deaths before disposing of their remains in the woods.
PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL OF THIS INFORMATION INCLUDED IN THIS ARTICLE ARE FACTS FROM THE DOCUMENTARY AND MY OWN PERSONAL THEORIES. NO CHARGES HAVE EVER BEEN FILED AGAINST HERB BAUMEISTER, THOMAS ACKERMAN OR MARK GOODYEAR IN CONNECTION WITH THE FOX HOLLOW FARM MURDERS. THIS IS STILL AN ONGOING INVESTIGATION
Final Notes
I think it’s really significant to note that Mark initially agreed to do a second interview for the new episode, but never showed up. He cut off all contact with the film crew after leaving this cryptic voicemail; “Look…if you would please loan me the attention. I believe with all of my heart that all of it is there. Every bit of it is there, absolutely, and in pristine condition. Use your gut. Use your temper. Use all of that stuff. I’m a blessed man. I’m not troubled by any of this stuff anymore. Let’s grow, alright? Alright, Thank you. Thank you, very much. Bye-bye.” In my opinion, he’s telling us that we have all of the information we need, we just have to put the pieces together and solve the puzzle. Musall is currently working on a book with everything she finds in the Fox Hollow Farm case file and I can’t wait to read it! Let me know your thoughts on this case below and if there are any other cases you would like me to cover for future articles.
Until Next Time,
Happy Sleuthing
