In the mid-1990s, investigators unearthed a nightmare beneath the quiet woods of Fox Hollow Farm. The property, owned by suspected serial killer Herb Baumeister, held thousands of bone fragments belonging to multiple victims—remains that had been scattered, burned, and weathered for decades. For years, many of these individuals remained nameless, their stories silenced by the sheer complexity of the evidence.
Fast forward to today: giving names back to the victims of Fox Hollow has required more than advanced DNA testing. It has demanded a coalition of medical examiners, law enforcement, private and state laboratories, and volunteer genealogists—each contributing unique expertise to one of the most challenging commingled human identification cases in U.S. history.
This session pulls back the curtain on how agencies collaborated to triage and prioritize skeletal fragments, integrate family reference samples, and maintain the integrity of evidence as it moved across jurisdictions. Attendees will gain practical strategies for structuring agreements, obtaining funding, preserving chain-of-custody, and ensuring transparency with both investigative partners and grieving families.
Fox Hollow Farm is more than a case study—it’s a blueprint for how to navigate the scientific, logistical, and emotional weight of large-scale identifications. Participants will leave with lessons they can adapt to their own labs when cases cross agency, state, or even national boundaries.
In the mid-1990s, investigators unearthed a nightmare beneath the quiet woods of Fox Hollow Farm. The property, owned by suspected serial killer Herb Baumeister, held thousands of bone fragments belonging to multiple victims—remains that had been scattered, burned, and weathered for decades. For years, many of these individuals remained nameless, their stories silenced by the sheer complexity of the evidence.
Fast forward to today: giving names back to the victims of Fox Hollow has required more than advanced DNA testing. It has demanded a coalition of medical examiners, law enforcement, private and state laboratories, and volunteer genealogists—each contributing unique expertise to one of the most challenging commingled human identification cases in U.S. history.
This session pulls back the curtain on how agencies collaborated to triage and prioritize skeletal fragments, integrate family reference samples, and maintain the integrity of evidence as it moved across jurisdictions. Attendees will gain practical strategies for structuring agreements, obtaining funding, preserving chain-of-custody, and ensuring transparency with both investigative partners and grieving families.
Fox Hollow Farm is more than a case study—it’s a blueprint for how to navigate the scientific, logistical, and emotional weight of large-scale identifications. Participants will leave with lessons they can adapt to their own labs when cases cross agency, state, or even national boundaries.
Workshop currently at capacity. A waitlist is available to join on our registration page.
Law Enforcement Liaison/Consultant, Othram
Detective Steve Ainsworth is currently a Law Enforcement Liaison/Consultant for Othram since April 2022. Steve was a trainer for over 200 different agencies and investigated over 2,500 deaths of all causes and manners. He is a District Court recognized expert in Medicolegal Death Investigation.
