What The Neighbors Saw | Full Episode
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Summary
Takeaways
- ❖In 2017, a dog discovered a human skull with a gunshot wound in rural Wisconsin, identified via DNA as Gary Albert Herbst, missing since 2013.
- ❖Gary's wife, Connie, and son, Austin, provided inconsistent stories about his disappearance and showed no emotion when informed of his death.
- ❖Neighbors described Gary as a 'horrible human being' and reported seeing Connie and Austin cleaning their house intensely and disposing of a rolled-up carpet on the night Gary disappeared.
- ❖A cadaver dog alerted to human remains in the former Herbst home, and luminol tests confirmed blood presence, corroborating neighbor accounts.
- ❖Austin confessed to shooting his father in 2013, citing years of severe physical and psychological abuse against himself and his mother as the motive.
- ❖Austin disposed of Gary's body in the woods, hoping wildlife would scatter the remains, and both he and Connie expressed relief and happiness after Gary's death.
- ❖Austin received a 12-year, six-month sentence for second-degree murder, while Connie received two years and three months for aiding an offender, serving only three months.
Insights
1Discovery and Identification of Gary Herbst
In 2017, a homeowner's dog found a human skull with a gunshot wound. Genetic genealogy, a 'last resort' method, identified the remains as Gary Albert Herbst, who had been missing for seven years. This breakthrough shifted the case from a cold missing person's file to a homicide investigation.
A 911 call reported a dog bringing back a human skull (). The skull had an obvious gunshot wound to the back of the head (). The DNA Doe Project identified the person as Gary Albert Herbst (, ).
2Neighbors' Suspicious Observations
Neighbors witnessed highly unusual activity at the Herbst house on the night Gary disappeared in 2013. This included Connie and Austin scrubbing floors and walls, and loading large black garbage bags and a rolled-up carpet into a truck, all during a severe rainstorm late at night. These observations became critical evidence years later.
Neighbors Kaia and Chad Kraml saw Connie and Austin scrubbing floors and walls, and bringing out black garbage bags and a rolled-up carpet around PM during a pouring rainstorm (, ). Chad remarked, 'I think they finally killed him' (, ).
3Family's Inconsistent Stories and Lack of Emotion
Connie and Austin provided conflicting accounts of Gary's disappearance and showed a striking lack of emotion when confronted with the news of his death. Connie initially claimed she was home when Gary left but later said she was at the library, contradicting Austin's story. They also failed to report his disappearance promptly or mention a stolen gun.
Connie and Austin were 'very stoic' when informed of Gary's death, never commenting 'at least we know it's him' (). Connie initially stated she was home when Gary left in her missing person's report but later claimed she was at the library (, ). She also failed to mention Gary stole her .40 caliber gun in her initial report (, ). Investigators found 'way too many inconsistencies' in their stories ().
4Forensic Corroboration of Murder Scene
A search warrant for the former Herbst house, seven years after the murder, yielded crucial forensic evidence. A cadaver dog alerted to the scent of human remains in specific areas, and subsequent luminol testing confirmed the presence of blood, directly supporting the neighbors' observations of a violent event and extensive cleanup.
A cadaver dog, Radar, concentrated heavily on a wall in the garage and around a red stain in a downstairs room (, ). Luminol tests indicated the presence of blood in areas where the cadaver dog alerted (). Investigators believed Gary was 'most likely murdered inside that particular house' (, ).
5Austin's Confession and Abuse Claims
After multiple interrogations and a failed polygraph, Austin confessed to shooting his father. He detailed years of severe physical and psychological abuse by Gary against both him and his mother, claiming he acted to protect his mother's life. He described the murder as a 'numbness' followed by 'relief'.
Austin failed a polygraph test (). He confessed, 'I grabbed the gun and ended the problem' (). He described Gary as 'vindictive,' 'cruel,' 'petty,' and 'violent' (). Austin recounted Gary putting a cigarette out on his arm, throwing him down stairs, and physically abusing his mother weekly, sometimes daily (, ). He stated he believed his mother's life was in danger and that Gary was 'going to kill her' (, ).
6Controversial Sentencing and Community Reaction
Austin pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and received a 12-year, six-month sentence, while Connie pleaded guilty to aiding an offender and served only three months. Prosecutors argued for harsher sentences, citing the callous disposal of the body. However, the judge found Austin's claims of abuse credible, and many neighbors expressed relief and even support for Austin, viewing Gary's death as a liberation.
Prosecutors requested 30 years for Austin due to the 'callous way that he was killed and the body was treated' (, ). Judge Caroline Lennon found Austin's claims credible, stating he 'believed that he was going to kill your mom' and 'felt an underlying obligation to protect his mother' (, ). Austin was sentenced to 12 years, six months (). Connie was sentenced to two years and three months but served only three months (, ). Neighbors felt 'sad because I didn't really want them to be caught' (, ) and believed the sentence was 'a little bit excessive' ().
Notable Moments
The discovery of Gary Herbst's skull by a family dog, seven years after his disappearance, which initiated the cold case investigation.
This unexpected discovery was the catalyst that transformed a missing person's case into a murder investigation, leading to the eventual identification of the victim and the unraveling of the truth.
Neighbors Kaia and Chad Kraml's recollection of Connie and Austin Herbst frantically cleaning their house and disposing of a rolled-up carpet late at night during a storm in 2013.
This eyewitness account, initially dismissed, became crucial circumstantial evidence, directly correlating with later forensic findings of blood and human remains in the house, strongly implicating the family.
The cadaver dog's alert and subsequent luminol testing confirming the presence of blood in the Herbsts' former home, years after the murder.
This forensic evidence provided concrete proof that a violent event occurred inside the house, corroborating the neighbors' suspicions and the family's inconsistent stories, and solidifying the murder theory.
Austin Herbst's confession to shooting his father, detailing years of severe abuse and his belief that he acted to protect his mother and himself.
This confession provided the direct account of the murder and the motive, shifting the narrative from a mysterious disappearance to a case of domestic violence culminating in homicide, and revealing the hidden suffering within the family.
Quotes
"I see the neighbors scrubbing the floors. I see them scrubbing the walls."
"Both of them were very stoic. Never -- never even commented, 'Well, at least we know it's him.' It's like they just glassed over it."
"We repeatedly heard the term 'the biggest [Bleep] that you'll ever meet.'"
"I just find way too many inconsistencies in your stories. I mean, with your story, with your mom's story..."
"I believe that there are a lot of reasons why...the act was justifiable."
Q&A
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