Shivangi Sinha
When Gary Herbst went missing from Elko New Market, Minnesota, in May 2013, there was little immediate police investigation. His wife, Connie Lou Herbst, told people that he had walked away voluntarily with an unknown person. It wasn’t until December 2017 that a man in Maple Grove, Wisconsin, discovered a skull. In the months that followed, police recovered additional remains, which were identified as Gary’s. As investigators pieced together the evidence, it increasingly implicated Connie in her husband’s death. CBS’ ‘48 Hours: What the Neighbors Saw’ features the case in depth, along with the investigation and the eventual findings.
Connie Lou Herbst Alleged That Gary Herbst Walked Away of His Own Will
Connie Lou Herbst had built a life with Gary Herbst in the small town of Elko New Market, Minnesota. The couple had a son, Austin Herbst, and appeared outwardly happy and settled. However, neighbors noted that their home life was not entirely serene. Reports and accounts suggested that Gary could be unfriendly and allegedly controlling toward his family. According to court documents, on July 6, 2013, Austin shot and killed his father in the basement of their home. What happened afterward took a shocking and unexpected turn.
Connie and her son Austin told family members that Gary had returned home, packed a bag, and left with $5,000 and a gun. Connie later told investigators that she had been at the library when Austin called her, and upon returning, she found their home ransacked. She claimed that the cash, gun, and her wedding ring were missing, alleging that Gary had left with an unknown person. However, police investigations revealed a different story. About a month later, Connie and Austin used a pickup truck to transport Gary’s remains and dumped them near Maple Grove, Wisconsin.
There was no active case until December 2017, when a man discovered a human skull near his property. When police were notified, they saw the bullet hole and searched the surrounding area and eventually recovered the rest of the remains. By 2020, these were identified as Gary’s, prompting investigators to question Connie and Austin. Although the Minnesota house had already been sold, police searched it and found traces of blood in the basement. Neighbors reported seeing a pickup truck in the backyard in August 2013, with Connie and Austin loading what appeared to be a rolled-up carpet, and observed them scrubbing the basement. Investigators also discovered 2020 text messages between mother and son, warning each other about the investigation.
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Connie Lou Herbst is No Longer Behind Bars Today
Based on all the evidence that had been gathered, Connie Lou Herbst was arrested in November 2020 on suspicion of aiding and abetting second-degree intentional murder (not premeditated). She alleged that she had helped her son in disposing of the remains and had nothing to do with the murder. Austin Herbst, on the other hand, claimed he killed his father because he feared his mother was going to be harmed. He stated that he had acted out of frustration from years of alleged control that he and Connie had faced. In October 2021, Connie pleaded guilty to felony aiding an offender after the fact. She alleged that she had suffered abuse from her husband, but admitted that she had covered up the crime. In February 2022, she was sentenced to 27 months for her crime, with 462 days credited for time served since her arrest. Based on this, she would likely have been released from prison by mid-2022 and has since kept a low profile.
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