Did Mark Goodyear go to jail? Fox Hollow Murders reveals bombshell claims

Although suspected serial killer Herbert Baumeister is the focus of The Fox Hollow Murders: Playground of a Serial Killer, the new Hulu docu-series also shines a line on Mark Goodyear, an individual whose alleged involvement has sparked intense debate.

The streaming service has plenty of new true crime titles to dive into this month, culminating in its anticipated three-part docu-series Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke. 

Until then, viewers have been transfixed by The Fox Hollow Murders, which uncovers a wealth of new details surrounding the lesser-known serial killer case. An investigation found that Herb Baumeister murdered at least 13 men, though this figure is believed to be higher.

More than 10,000 bone fragments were found at his Fox Hollow Farm property in Westfield, Indiana, but before he could face trial, he died by suicide in 1996. Hulu’s docu-series follows coroner Jeff Jellison’s new investigation into the case, featuring interviews with a supposed survivor. Warning: some may find this content distressing.

Did Mark Goodyear go to jail?

As confirmed by ABC, which produced the four-part series, Mark Goodyear has never been charged for any crimes in relation to the Herb Baumeister case. 

In fact, The Fox Hollow Murders shows how Goodyear was initially considered a sole survivor by the authorities. Back in 1994, families of missing gay men in the area hired a private detective to try and solve the case, having not had the help they needed from the police. 

Goodyear spoke with the investigator, describing a strange encounter he had with Baumeister, who he met at a gay bar in Indianapolis. According to Goodyear, he agreed to go back to Baumeister’s estate, and straight away he noticed something odd: there were mannequins around the pool and behind the bar at the property.

“I knew something was strange about him already,” Goodyear said. “I wouldn’t take a cocktail from him. He was trying to get me to drink or whatever. So, I went to the bathroom with the cocktail. Dumped it out. Rinsed the glass. Came back with a glass of water.”

The pair then had consensual sex and participated in autoerotic asphyxiation. Goodyear is reported to have said to detectives, “There were several different attempts there with, like I said, a tie, a belt. 

“He had a fascination with strangulation. I do believe that if I had been severely under the influence that he probably would have went further with me. Leading me to believe that he has done this before. I don’t even know if he’s a murderer. My assumption is that he is.”

The information Goodyear provided to the authorities ultimately helped the police make a break in the case. However, over the years, discrepancies in his story led to suspicion that he was somehow involved in the murders as an accomplice. 

Jane Gerlach, a paranormal filmmaker, told ABC that she found his accounts confusing. He even wrote her a riddle in a letter, which reads, “I was never attacked. I am not a murderer. Exactly what am I? Tell me what I am. Not an accomplice, not a victim, never attacked. What am I?”

Bombshell claims in The Fox Hollow Murders

In The Fox Hollow Murders, Goodyear admits to lying about his relationship with Baumeister, but he still denies ever being involved in the murders. 

“I told police that he attacked me. He didn’t attack me. Nothing like that,” he admits in the new documentary. He goes on to reveal that his encounters with Baumeister were far more frequent than he had previously stated, continuing up until the serial killer took his own life.

Goodyear claims that Baumeister once confided in him, boasting about murdering a shocking 56 people. He further alleges that Baumeister even led him to a fire pit on the estate, where human remains were actively burning.

Perhaps most startlingly, Goodyear asserts that he was with Baumeister in Indianapolis on the very day law enforcement arrived at Fox Hollow Farm and uncovered thousands of human bone fragments. 

According to Goodyear, the two were watching the breaking news of the search together at his home as it aired on television.

Despite his confession, he claims he was not involved in helping Baumeister get victims or assist with the murders. “He was trying to take me down with him. But guess what? He’s f*cking dead, ain’t he,” Goodyear says. 

These statements have shocked The Fox Hollow Murders viewers, with one writing on Reddit, “Having watched more of the series a ton of stuff is released that straight up makes the podcast series irrelevant now. 

“Mark Goodyear, the guy who allegedly ‘got away’ from Baumeister, now admits on camera he made the entire thing up and that he was Baumeister’s secret boyfriend for two years.”

“Goodyear is a creep and 100% involved,” said another, while a third agreed, “I thought so too! For someone who’s only been there once, and supposedly met Baumister, I don’t believe him. He contradicts himself.”

A fourth chimed in, “Everything he says is contradictory as he’s lost track of his own lies. He wants the notoriety so bad that he lives on the ragged edge of implicating himself to stay relevant. 

“He murdered and helped murder those people… I believe Baumeister hightailed it with the evidence that would put them both on death row and intended to use that evidence to leverage leniency for himself if caught. Goodyear is sick.”

Although Goodyear is facing scrutiny for his statements, it’s important to note that no concrete evidence has ever linked Goodyear to the murders, meaning he’s never been prosecuted in this case.

The Fox Hollow Murders: Playground of a Serial Killer is streaming on Hulu now. For more true crime news, read about the most disturbing details in American Murder: Gabby Petito, why Good American Family is set to be 2025’s most controversial show, and everything Brian Laundrie confessed in his notebook.