In the 1980s and 1990s, a mysterious figure known as the “I-70 Strangler” terrorized the Midwest by hunting boys and men. The bodies of at least 12 victims were found strangled and partially nude along Interstate 70 in Indiana and Ohio. Despite speculation linking notorious serial killers like Larry William Eyler and Herb Baumeister to the crimes, definitive proof was elusive.
However, a retired sheriff turned private investigator named Virgil Vandagriff uncovered compelling evidence that tied Baumeister to the killings. Vandagriff received calls from concerned families in the mid-1990s about suspicious disappearances of loved ones, which led him to investigate further. The victims shared similar characteristics, such as being gay men who went missing on their way to local bars.
Vandagriff’s investigation revealed a pattern of missing men in the Indianapolis area that pointed to a serial killer targeting the gay community. Despite facing resistance from law enforcement, Vandagriff persisted in his pursuit of justice. An informant provided crucial information linking Baumeister to the crimes, eventually leading authorities to his property at Fox Hollow Farm in Indiana.
After Baumeister’s suicide in 1996, law enforcement discovered over 10,000 skeletal remains on his property, including those of Vandagriff’s missing persons. The Hamilton County Coroner’s Office and Othram, a forensic genetic genealogy lab, have been working to identify the victims. To date, eight victims have been identified, with four more DNA profiles awaiting identification.
While Baumeister is believed to be responsible for at least 25 murders, he was never definitively named as the “I-70 Strangler.” Another suspect, Eyler, who was linked to 21 murders of boys and young men in the gay community, was sentenced to death. The distinction between the “I-70 Strangler” and the “I-70 Killer” lies in the nature of their crimes, with the former’s killings showing signs of being sexually motivated and targeting male victims.
The case of the “I-70 Strangler” remains unresolved, leaving behind a haunting legacy of unsolved murders and unanswered questions. As investigators continue their work to identify the victims and bring closure to their families, the mystery of this elusive killer lingers, a ghost story of a dark chapter in the region’s history.