Decapitated body discovered near Nashville Waffle House

Decapitated human remains found in a wooded area near a Nashville Waffle House and McDonald’s have police investigating searching for clues as to what happened.

The discovery was made by a woman who called authorities on Friday morning, according to reports. Police told local station WZTV that the skull was found 100 yards away from the body near a wood line by the restaurants. 

The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD) has not identified the victim, and is looking into how long the remains were there. 

“Given the heat and the woods and the nature of how this person was found it’s extremely difficult for officers to see and for our CSI team to photograph and capture,” a police spokesperson said, according to the New York Post. 

An aerial view of the McDonald’s, Waffle House and wooded area nearby where decapitated skeletal remains were found on Aug. 22, 2025, reports said.  (Google Maps)

“It’s pretty gory. That’s crazy. I don’t even know what to say,” local worker Tom Keesee told WSMV. 

A human skull and other remains were found Friday, August 22, 2025, near a McDonald’s location in Nashville. (iStock)

“We live in a big city,” he added. “I don’t want to say killings are normal, but a headless body, that’s the next level.”