Authorities in Indiana have successfully extracted two complete DNA profiles from bone fragments discovered on the former property of Herbert Baumeister, a businessman long suspected of being a serial killer. These new profiles offer a renewed hope for identifying victims whose remains were found on Baumeister's Westfield estate, known as Fox Hollow Farm.

Hamilton County Coroner Jeff Jellison announced that the Indiana State Police laboratory generated the profiles this week. The bones are part of a larger collection of approximately 10,000 bone fragments unearthed on the property. This renewed effort aims to bring closure to families who lost loved ones between the mid-1980s and mid-1990s, the period Baumeister is believed to have been active.

Baumeister died by suicide in Canada in 1996 while facing imminent questioning by investigators regarding the remains found on his 18-acre estate. He was 49 years old at the time. Investigators suspect Baumeister, a married father, frequented gay bars and lured men back to his home, where he murdered them. By 1999, he had been linked to the disappearances of at least 16 men, some of whose bodies were later discovered in streams in central Indiana and western Ohio.

In a previous attempt to identify victims, eight individuals were successfully matched to DNA samples collected from the remains. However, three DNA profiles remained unidentified. Last year, Jellison initiated a renewed push for identification, urging relatives of missing men from that era to provide DNA samples. He estimated that the recovered bone fragments could belong to at least 25 individuals.

The Indiana State Police will now compare the two new DNA profiles to the samples submitted by families, as well as to the existing eight identified profiles. If no matches are found, the search will broaden to national DNA databases. As a last resort, Jellison mentioned the possibility of collaborating with a private DNA testing firm specializing in forensic genetic genealogy. Meanwhile, the state police continue their work to extract additional DNA profiles from the remaining bone fragments.

Jellison emphasized the importance of identifying the victims, stating his commitment to giving them a voice and telling their stories.