In June 2020, Linda Dane was confronted with a grim discovery that reopened the painful mystery surrounding her long-lost brother, Gary Herbst. Years earlier, in 2017, a dog had uncovered Gary’s skull in rural Barron County, Wisconsin, but it was only through painstaking investigative work that his identity and the circumstances of his death were gradually revealed. The story of Gary’s disappearance and murder not only exposed a family tragedy but also unraveled a complex web of secrets, abuse allegations, and conflicting accounts that culminated in the arrest and conviction of Gary’s wife and son.
Gary Herbst, 57 when he vanished in 2013, had long been a distant figure within his family. According to his sister Linda, he was a stubborn, crabby loner who rarely connected with extended family members, which explained the scarcity of recent photos and contact. Linda first learned of Gary’s disappearance from his wife, Connie Herbst, who revealed that Gary had left the family home one day, taking a suitcase and leaving behind his wife and their teenage son, Austin. What struck Linda as odd was Connie’s failure to report Gary missing to the police, a delay that would eventually complicate the investigation.
At Linda’s urging, Connie filed a missing person report with the Elko New Market Police Department in Minnesota, stating that Gary had left abruptly, getting into an older gray Honda vehicle driven by an unknown man. For six years, however, the case remained cold until genetic genealogist Robin Espensen of the DNA Doe Project used advanced DNA analysis to confirm that the skull found in Wisconsin belonged to Gary Herbst. This breakthrough reignited the investigation, with local authorities seeking to piece together what had happened.
Detective Jeff Nelson of the Barron County Sheriff’s Office soon located Connie and Austin at a retirement community where they both worked. Their reaction to the news that Gary’s remains had been found was notably stoic, offering little in the way of emotion or explanation. Interviews with Connie and Austin raised immediate suspicions. Connie admitted she had not reported Gary missing because “he left on his own,” and she did not think it was necessary. She described Gary as volatile, a drug user who was often angry and unpleasant, and admitted to past instances of physical abuse, including hitting Connie and pushing her hard enough to break a toe. Austin corroborated the troubled family dynamic, recalling his father’s anger and a particularly volatile day when Gary packed his bags and left after stealing money and a wedding ring.
Despite their claims of abuse, investigators found inconsistencies in Connie and Austin’s stories. For example, Connie initially said she was home when Gary left, but later admitted she was at the library. She also mentioned a missing .40 caliber gun, which she had not reported stolen initially. These discrepancies deepened suspicions that Connie and Austin may have been involved in Gary’s disappearance and death. Both agreed to polygraph tests; while Connie showed no signs of deception, Austin’s results indicated dishonesty, prompting further scrutiny.
Austin described a mysterious man with tattoos who picked up his father that day, but the story shifted over time and seemed rehearsed. Investigators doubted the existence of this man and suspected Austin’s narrative was fabricated to deflect blame from the family. With no confessions and only circumstantial evidence, officials continued to gather information, focusing on the family’s former neighborhood and home.
Neighbors painted a disturbing picture of Gary Herbst. Described uniformly as a mean and confrontational man, Gary was notorious for his vindictive behavior. He reportedly blasted pipe organ music at neighbors, deliberately filled yards with snow in winter using a snowblower, and even spied on neighbors’ children with a video camera, actions that led some neighbors to file police reports. Despite his unpleasantness, some neighbors did not view him as physically dangerous but certainly as a psychologically troubling presence.
Significantly, neighbors recalled unusual activity around the Herbst home on the night of Gary’s disappearance. Amid a thunderstorm, they saw a truck backed into the backyard near the sliding glass door, which was unusual given Gary’s meticulousness about his property. They also witnessed Connie and Austin scrubbing floors in the middle of the night, carrying garbage bags and removing a carpet or rug from the house. One neighbor even remarked that they believed “they finally killed him” that night. Afterward, Connie and Austin appeared transformed—more sociable and happier, hosting yard sales and baking cookies for neighbors, as if freed from a