Nashville, TN – The Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) is investigating what authorities are calling the first murder of 2025, after a body was discovered Wednesday near the riverbank underneath the sidewalk and road of Gay Street and 1st Avenue.
According to the police, homicide detectives responded to the scene where they found the body of a man, believed to be homeless, who had suffered blunt force trauma to his head. The victim, described as a white male, was reportedly living in the immediate vicinity of the discovery.
The exact time of the death is still unknown, and authorities have not released further details about the circumstances surrounding the incident. Two unhoused individuals reported the discovery to an ambassador working with the Nashville Downtown Partnership, who then alerted the police.
At this stage in the investigation, detectives are working to identify the victim through fingerprint analysis. In addition, police are reviewing security camera footage from the area to gather more information that might assist in solving the case.
The MNPD has not yet made any arrests and continues to investigate the circumstances of the man’s death. This marks the first homicide of the year in Nashville, with police urging anyone with information to come forward.