Katie Baunach Death, Obituary – Following Katie Baunach’s horrific death, Florida-based bodybuilder Ian Baunach has been charged with premeditated first-degree murder. On Monday, the 43-year-old was charged after being suspected of igniting Katie’s body in his garden. Katie, the victim, was last spotted on September 29, 2022. A friend states that Katie intended to go to Ian’s residence and get some of her personal belongings, but she never showed up there. The police were called to Ian’s five-acre property the following day. They found Katie’s car there, parked in front of his house. Ian Baunach refused to allow officers into his home despite their suspicions.
Officers returned the following day with a search warrant and discovered Katie’s car was no longer parked next to Ian’s residence. Police entered the house and discovered blood stains and signs of a struggle. Starting in 2014, Ian Baunach participated in a number of NPC bodybuilding competitions. His most recent competitions were the Masters Over 40 division at the 2020 NPC Teen Collegiate & Masters National Championships, where he placed third, and the Masters Over 40 division of the 2020 NPC North American Championships.
On Wednesday, October 12, 2022, TMZ revealed that Baunach was being charged with the murder of his ex-wife, and police say he also incinerated her body in his backyard, likely to destroy incriminating evidence. While fulfilling the search warrant, officers say they found an AR-15 upper receiver, 13 silencers, and a Glock Model 27.40 caliber pistol inside a plastic bag, located in a safe. Additionally, they found Katie’s engagement ring and wedding ring at the scene.
Chilling evidence surfaced once detectives got involved. They found human remains outside of Ian’s home — this disturbing discovery included a jawbone with a tooth still attached to it and a fresh burn pile that smelled like human flesh. According to authorities, all of these items were located next to a 50-gallon barrel.
The bodybuilder claims that Katie vanished and was never slain during his court appearance. However, he did reveal that recently, they had a contentious dispute about another woman. Ian was taken into custody two days following her death. He was charged with first-degree premeditated murder, destruction/concealment of physical evidence, and cremating a dead body. This week, he pled not guilty to the charges in a Tampa court hearing.
Ian has previously encountered the law. His ex-wife Katie filed for a restraining order against him last month. She had previously accused him of torturing one of their kids. Ian was detained for domestic violence by strangulation back in November 2021. If Baunach is found guilty of the first-degree state murder accusation, he could receive the death penalty or life in prison.
