Skull Found in Antioch Identified as Man Reported as Missing in Murfreesboro

NASHVILLE, TN - In a somber development, Metro authorities have just now confirmed that a skull found in April 2024 along Collins Creek in Antioch, Tennessee, has been positively identified by DNA testing, as belonging to Stanley Dotson Wise III. The 34-year-old man was reported as missing to Murfreesboro Police the very same month last year (April 2024).

Information from the missing person report was released by Murfreesboro Police on April 17, 2024. This means the skull — now identified as Wise's — was located the same month he was officially reported as missing. According to Murfreesboro authorities, Wise was last seen seven months earlier, in September 2023, at the Kroger store on Veterans Parkway. At the time, he was believed to be living out of his gray or silver Honda Accord, which has yet to be found.

The skull was discovered among debris in floodwaters and sent for DNA analysis, which took about 11-months to confirm Wise's identity. No other remains have been located, and the cause of death remains undetermined.

Loved ones, including Joanne Findley, the mother of Wise's teenage daughter, suspect foul play. Findley noted that someone used Wise's cellphone after his disappearance, but the call led to no substantial leads.

The Metro Nashville Police Department continues to investigate the case. In Murfreesboro, the case was spearheaded by Det. Julia Cox at 629-201-5514.