The Farm on 10,000 Bones

Subscriber-only episode

What if the person next door harbored a chilling secret? Uncover the haunting tale of Herb Bowmaster, a man who hid a dark, murderous past beneath his guise as a successful grocery store chain owner. Diagnosed with conditions that were left untreated, Herb's life spiraled into a nightmare of deceit and horror as he preyed on unsuspecting young men. Explore the grotesque juxtaposition of his seemingly normal family life against the malevolent acts committed within his opulent mansion, where mannequins stood as silent witnesses. This episode reveals how one survivor's courage illuminated the shadows of Herb's twisted existence, leading to a shocking discovery that exposed the macabre reality behind his façade.

In our exploration of Herb Bowmaster's story, we also shed light on the unsolved mysteries of those whose lives were tragically cut short or remain missing, their fates possibly intertwined with Herb's sinister deeds. These cases remind us of the importance of vigilance and the courage to speak out, serving as a sobering reminder of the lurking dangers in seemingly safe spaces. As we share these unsettling accounts, we invite you to join us in advocating for awareness and resolution. Support our mission to keep these stories alive and help prevent future tragedies by subscribing, sharing, and considering premium membership. Be cautious, stay aware, and remember—safety is paramount.

Chapters

• 0:01 Herb Bowmaster
• 17:09 Unsolved Missing Persons Cases

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:01

Never would have thought. An owner of a grocery store chain led a double life that led to forensics finding over 10,000 bones scattered about his 18-acre farm. And that's not all. Wait till you hear about the homicides and those missing that he's connected to. Join me as we go digging.

Speaker 1: 0:31

Please note that the content of this recording may contain graphic material, including torture, and explicit language may be used. The opinions are of my own and may be offensive to some listeners. They are my opinions, everyone has them and if you do not agree, then ignore them like an adult and move on. Listener, discretion is strongly advised. Hey Ravens, welcome to the Ravens Knock. I'm your host, amy. I want to thank you guys for liking, sharing and subscribing and also referring your friends. If you're not a premium member, you can do so for $7 a month, which is like a cup of coffee. It does help the show out, as podcasting is not free and you get ad-free content, bonus episodes that no one else gets. And with that said, let's go ahead and get started.

Speaker 1: 1:25

Herb Bowmaster was the oldest of four children. He was born to Elizabeth and Dr Herbert Bowmaster on April the 7th 1947 in Indianapolis, indiana. He had a normal childhood, but when he became an adolescent he started having unsocial behaviors. His friend said he was always pondering what it would be like to taste human urine. He also got a kick out of urinating on teacher's desk, killing, posing and playing with dead animals. His father, who was also an anesthesiologist, took him in secret to get a mental evaluation. He was diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic and he also had antisocial personality disorder. Despite this, he never received any treatment. It was kept a secret. I don't understand, then, why take him to get evaluated if you're not going to treat him?

Speaker 1: 2:33

In 1965, herb attended Indiana University, but he dropped out after the first semester. In 1972, he went to Butler University, but again just for a semester. He worked many jobs and he had a good, strong work ethic. He just had bizarre behavior. He married Julie in November 1971. Julie stated that they only had sex six times in 25 years and they only had three children. To get an idea of their relationship, she said she had never seen him naked before. His father had him committed involuntarily to a psych hospital after Julie pleaded with him, stating that he needed help because he was hurting. He stayed for two months and then he was released. He worked for the DMV, but he was fired after he urinated on a letter that had been addressed to the governor and also messing with his supervisor's desk. He worked at a second-hand store for three years before he decided to open his own thrift store, but his would be different. It would be a grocery store. That's where the chain Save-A-Lot was born. That's where the chain Save-A-Lot was born. In 1988, in Indianapolis, indiana, he opened his first store. The store did so well that he soon opened another.

Speaker 1: 4:19

Irvin Julie bought a beautiful farm called Fox Hollow in 1988. It was nestled on 18 acres and it hosted 11,572 square feet with four bedrooms, ten bathrooms. Like who needs ten bathrooms? We only have one, but we live in a house that was built in the mid-1800s. I guess I'm blessed that I don't have to use an outhouse. I guess I'm blessed that I don't have to use an outhouse. The house also had an indoor pool, a private outdoor pond, a fully stocked bar, a five-car garage and a terrace. His idea of a huge house was so that his family could be on one side, he could be on the other and no one would know what the other was doing.

Speaker 1: 5:09

Mismanagement began to cause problems for the business and this began putting a strain and stress on Herb and the marriage. Julie and the kids would oftentimes go away for the weekend just to escape from it all. Herb would always decline, citing that he needed to work at the store. But he wasn't working at all. Instead, he was going into the city and frequenting gay bars. He would choose a young man no older than 35, lured them back to his mansion to take a dip in the pool. Once there he had them. Alongside the pool, in the basement were mannequins Some were sitting, some were standing, others laid out on a towel as if they were sunbathing. He said they were there to keep him company. I wonder what went through their minds when they saw that he would offer them a drink. Anything they would want, he had it. He would tell them to relax, enjoy themselves and of course, he would be spiking their drinks. Once they couldn't defend themselves, he would strangle them with his hands or a hose. If his wife and kids are gone, he would burn the bodies, collect the remains from the fireplace and bury them in several places on the property. His children had no idea they were playing on top of their father's victims.

Speaker 1: 6:52

One of his victims got a strong gut feeling once inside the house. When offered a drink, he declined because he wanted to remain sober. The mannequins really freaked him out. Herb wanted him to try erotic asphyxiation and Herb was going to go first. So he put a hose around Herb's neck as Herb pleasured himself. Then it was his turn. But Herb took it too far and he couldn't get any air. He played it smart though, relaxed his body and closed his eyes. Once Herb thought he was gone, he said his name and he opened his eyes. Herb apologized and said sometimes accidents happen. Then he said he would drive him back into town and he did. For some reason, don't know why he was spared, but that would be his demise. Because as soon as the man got back home he called and informed the police about his weird encounter and he told them that something was up with that man and he believes that he had something to do with his friend that had gone missing.

Speaker 1: 8:09

The police decided to go check it out, mainly because they had a lot of missing gay men and a lot of unsolved homicides involving gay men. When officers arrived at the residence, herb and Julie refused to allow them to search the house. By June of 1996, julie became scared of Herb, so she ended up leaving him and filing for divorce. When she did, she signed a consent form to allow the police to conduct a search. The police conducted this search while Ir was on vacation. This is when they discovered the 11 bodies. They issued a warrant for his arrest and he fled to Canada where he committed suicide at a park by Lake Huron by shooting himself in the head with a .357 Magnum. He left a three-page suicide note. He apologized for making a mess at the park and said he was sorry for what he had done, but never said what that was. He never confessed to any murder or any crime at all. He said his last meal was a peanut butter and jelly

Speaker 1: 9:25

sandwich. The missing persons that still haven't been found are John Lee Baker that goes by Johnny, 20 years old, missing since May 1993. Richard Hamilton, jr, 20 years old, missing since July 1993. Alan Livingston, 27 years old, missing since August 1993. He was found on the farm in October 2023. Steven Hale, 28 years old, missing since April 1994. Alan Broussard, 28 years old, missing since June 1994. Roger Goodlett, 33 years old, missing since July 1994. Michael Kern, 45 years old, missing since March 1994. Jerry Comer, 24 years old, missing since 1995. His car was found at Castleton Mall, 24 years old, missing since 1995. His car was found at Castleton Mall. Manuel Rodriguez, 34 years old, missing since August 1993. However, they did find a bone that matched one of his relatives' bone was found in the

Speaker 1: 11:01

farm. The body of Michael Petrie, 15 years old, was discovered in Hamilton County, indiana, on June 16, 1980. He was reported missing on June 7, 1980. Cause of death strangulation. The body of Maurice Taylor, 22, was found topless on July 21st 1982, in Hamilton County. Cause of death officially undetermined, but believed strangulation or smothered. The body of Devoid Baker, 14 years old, was found semi-nude near a river in Hamilton County on October 3, 1982. He had been riding his bike when he disappeared. Witnesses say they saw him getting into a blue van driven by a white male with a bushy mustache. He called his parents at 10.30, stating he was running late because he had went to a movie but he had been to a gay bar. They let a 14 year old in a gay bar, in any bar, I mean, it was the 80s. But still. Michael Riley, age 22, disappeared May 28, 1983, after he was visiting a nightclub called the Vogue Theater. He was last seen with an unidentified man with whom he was seen living with In February 1988, don't know why it took so long. A resident called and stated that man was Herb. He was later found nude in a ditch in Hancock County on June 5th 1988. He was strangled with a

Speaker 1: 12:49

towel. Eric Rodkicker, 17 years old, vanished May 7th 1985, but was found shirtless near a stream in Preble County, ohio. He had been headed to some interviews but never made it. He was supposed to be getting on a bus but was seen at the bus stop getting into a car. He was found deceased. He had been strangled with a rope. He had been strangled with a rope. The body of Michael Glenn, 29 years old, was found in his underwear in a ditch in Wonton, ohio, august 15, 1986,. He was also strangled with a rope. It took three years to identify

Speaker 1: 13:34

him. James Robbins, 21 years old, disappeared October 15,. James Robbins, 21 years old, disappeared October 15, 1987, around 10 o'clock pm. After leaving his mother's house walking back to the city. He was found two days later naked, 1989, in Preble County, ohio, near Interstate 70. He was strangled with a

Speaker 1: 14:07

rope. Clay Boatman, 32 years old, disappeared on August 14, 1990, after leaving his home headed to a bar called my Place. He was found strangled and in a ditch in Eaton Ohio. Thomas Clevenger, 18 years old, disappeared on September 6, 1990, but was found semi-nude in an abandoned railroad track near Greenville Ohio. Otto Baker was found in a ditch in Henry County, indiana, on August 6, 1991. Witnesses say he was in a car with another man on

Speaker 1: 14:48

I-70. Herb's son found a full, complete skeleton in the backyard of their farm in 1994. Herb told him and his wife that it was just one of his father's dissecting skeletons and he put it in his garage. He later reburied it in the garden In 1996, that's when Herb's life began to unravel. On June 24th 1996, investigators recovered the bones of at least 11 people buried at Fox Hollow Farms. A new search was conducted as recent as December 4, 2022 that recovered only one bone but identified 20 other locations that may contain the remains that are buried. Only 8 out of the 11 bodies have been identified. The additional 3 remains are believed to be all male. 2 are confirmed to be

Speaker 1: 15:49

homicides. The Sheriff's Office asks if anyone has a family member or a friend who disappeared from the mid-1980s to mid-1990s in the Indianapolis area to complete a DNA test to help ID those who have not been identified, as well as to help identify the bones that have been found. As of January 2024, the forensic teams are working to identify the nearly 10,000 human remains that have been recovered from Fox Hollow Farms. If you have a missing loved one or a missing friend in that area, or even in the Ohio area, call the Indianapolis Police Department at 317-327-3811. That's 317-327-3811. Call to see how you can get a DNA test to check against the bones found at Box Hollow

Speaker 1: 17:02

Farm. Thanks, guys, for listening. I know that that is a short story, but those people are still missing and those homicides have still have not officially been closed, even though obviously they're all connected. They still believe that they belong to herb um. But again, just because it's short doesn't mean it's not important. I hope you all did enjoy the show. Thanks again for listening. Please like, subscribe, subscribe, tell your friends. If you can, please be a premium member. And until next time, guys, avoid rest stops and be safe.