
On January 2, 2025, a dad and his 6-year-old son simply wanted to go for a walk. Unfortunately, a horrifying discovery stopped them from appreciating nature in the way they had hoped. Patrick Lanier and his son Gabriel, 6, found a human skull when they went for a walk near Gabriel’s grandparents’ home in Nashville, Tennessee. For Patrick, the disturbing find hit especially close to home.
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Patrick told WTVF that helping the victim’s family get closure felt extra important to him because of a similar tragedy his family experienced in the past. Speaking to the news outlet, he revealed that he had lost his younger brother. When his brother was killed, his family hoped for “closure” and justice. “I just want the same for the family of this person,” he told WTVF.
In addition to finding a human skull, Patrick and his son noticed something that looked like it could be a human finger. On January 16, the Metro Nashville Police Department’s Urban Search and Rescue team and Cold Case Unit detectives conducted a search in the area where Patrick and Gabriel found the skull.
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In a news release, law enforcement officials shared that the human skull likely belonged to a man 28 to 48 years old. They believe that the victim died within the last two years. They also noted, however, that the skull “does not match any local missing persons from that area.”

Initially, when the dad and son noticed the skull during their walk, Gabriel thought it was a turtle, according to WTVF. Although the discovery was unsettling for the family, the dad also saw it as an opportunity to teach his son about “doing the right thing.”
On January 23, police shared an update with People, noting authorities are still investigating. A police spokesperson told the magazine that there’s currently no evidence of foul play.