NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — It's a case that has baffled Metro Police for 16 years, but now investigators hope a new picture of the victim may provide the break they have been waiting for.
An unidentified man was killed after he ran across I-24 East near the Hickory Hollow Parkway exit around 3 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2007. The driver who hit him said she didn't see him until it was too late. The man died from his injuries.
When Metro Police arrived on the scene they found the man was not carrying any identification and did not have a cell phone. They were unable to determine his name, and why he was walking on the interstate.
Detectives did confirm the man was Hispanic, and likely between 20 and 25 years old. He was 5'5" tall and weighed around 150 pounds. He was wearing a white T-shirt, black jeans with a brown belt and a pair of size 9.5 white Fila tennis shoes.
Officers did extensive outreach in the Hispanic community in Nashville in hopes of determining his name, but came up empty handed. With no tips coming in, the investigation turned cold over the years.
In an effort to generate new tips, Metro Police teamed up with a forensic artist to create a new picture of the man's face and his tattoo.
"That’s the only lead we have right now," said Matthew Filter, a detective with the Metro Police Department's Cold Case-Homicide/Missing Persons unit. "This picture of him and that tattoo. We hope that someone will look at it and be able to call us with a name."
The man's tattoo is on the left side of his chest and features a heart, a rose, the names "Jamie" and "Sandra," and the words "mi amor."
"With this individual, that tattoo is very unique," said Filter. "I would hope that someone close to this individual would recognize that tattoo."
Even though years have passed, Metro Police are still hopeful someone will recognize some aspect of the man's photo and reach out to them so they will finally be able to identify him.
If you have any information that can help identify the John Doe killed on I-24, you can call the Metro Police Department Cold Case Unit at 615-862-7329. You can also call Nashville Crime Stoppers anonymously at 615-74-CRIME.
There are still so many families in East Tennessee hurting following the floods from Hurricane Helene in September. That made this year's running of the Santa Train extra special for many families in the northeast part of the state. This special Santa Express has been making an annual run in part of Appalachia for over 80 years.
-Lelan Statom
