Humphreys County John Doe was a male whose heart was discovered in a salt pile in the Tennessee Department of Transportation's salt barn. No other remains were found at the scene, and the case is being investigated as a homicide.
Case[]
On December 15, 2022, employees for TDOT were combining products to make brine to treat the winter roads when they discovered what was first thought to be an "oddly shaped rock". Eventually, the "rock" was discovered to be a heart, and police were alerted. The heart is thought to have belonged to an adult human male and had been hidden in the salt pile for a long time, likely a few weeks, as it had become dehydrated. Due to the bizarre nature of the discovery, authorities labeled the case as a homicide and considered the barn a crime scene. No other human remains could be found in and around the barn.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is currently working with TDOT to trace where the salt they were storing originated. Additionally, DNA testing is being conducted on the heart to attempt to find the owner. Despite the case's classification, authorities do not believe there is a danger to public safety.
Sources[]
- NBC
- Local 3
- WKRN:
- Article #1 (12/16/2022)
- Article #2 (12/16/2022)
- Article #3 (12/15/2023)