Gary Herbst skull identified; investigation leads to arrest and convictions in Elko New Market case

On Gary Herbst, whose skull was recovered by a dog in rural Barron County, Wisconsin, investigators confirmed the identity through genetic genealogy in mid‑2020, setting in motion renewed inquiries that culminated in arrests and later guilty pleas. As of March 22, 2026, the case record shows the 2013 disappearance, the 2017 discovery of remains and subsequent forensic and neighborhood evidence that focused attention on Herbst's wife and son.

Family members say Ms. Herbst filed a missing‑person report in 2013 only after relatives pressed her to act. Investigators uncovered inconsistencies in initial statements, witness accounts of late‑night activity at the family home and a cadaver dog alert inside the former residence. Luminol testing indicated blood near a sliding glass door and a bedroom area. Polygraph testing administered during the probe showed divergent results for the two family members questioned.

Authorities arrested 62‑year‑old Connie Herbst and her son, Austin Herbst, on November 19, 2020; both were later charged—Austin with second‑degree murder and Connie with aiding an offender after the fact. Austin eventually admitted to shooting his father on July 8, 2013, and to disposing of the body in the Wisconsin woods where remains were later found. Prosecutors say they found no corroborating evidence of the abuse Austin described.

Court outcomes include Austin's June 2021 guilty plea and a 12½‑year sentence, with eligibility for release in 2029, and Connie's plea to an accessory charge; she was sentenced to two years and three months and released in May 2022 after serving three months.