Five years after a Nashville man was found dead inside a burning car, Metro Police said who was responsible for his violent death remains a mystery.
On Jan. 23, 2019 around 9:30 p.m., Nashville firefighters responded to a call about a burning car on 25th Avenue North. See old footage of the burnt car in the video above.
Once the fire was out, they discovered human remains burned beyond recognition in the driver’s seat of the 2018 Nissan Altima.
Dental records confirmed the victim was Mathias Smith. Smith, 37, suffered third and fourth degree burns to his entire body. Metro Police said he died from a combination of thermal injuries and smoke and soot inhalation. His death was ruled a homicide.
A gas can was also found near the scene, and Metro Police detectives believe it was used as an accelerant.
While the car was found in a residential area, no neighbors or witnesses came forward initially to talk to police. Detectives did learn that Smith had asked his girlfriend if he could use her car to run an errand. He later called her and asked her to report the car stolen. When she asked why, he told her to just do it. Smith’s body was later found in his girlfriend’s car.