More remains have been discovered near the area where a skull was found near Center Hill Lake. Authorities say the bones appear to be that of a man who had run from authorities after the car he was in crashed into a tree.

On April 17, officers from the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department, members of the Smithville DeKalb Rescue Squad, officers from the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, rangers from the Corps of Engineers, and members from the Middle Tennessee State University Anthropology Team searched the area again for the remains of a body where a skull was found earlier this year on March 10. The remains are believed to be that of Matthew Braswell.

According to Sheriff Patrick Ray, Braswell was a passenger of a 2006 Chevy Tahoe, driven by 26-year-old Danny Phillips of McMinnville, when they were spotted by a resident going through the mail of his mailbox on Ponder Road.

As the resident came out of his home to confront the men, the truck sped away but then went out of control and struck several trees at the edge of the roadway. The two men then bailed out of the truck and fled into the woods. Phillips was quickly captured, but Braswell got away and hasn’t been seen since. Authorities say that it appeared that both men sustained injuries in the crash though it is not known how severe.

Local and state authorities including a K-9 unit conducted a ground search for Braswell that day but to no avail. The evening that the man fled the scene of the crash the temperatures dropped significantly with rain in the area.

The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department coordinated another ground and aerial search on February 5, but again no traces of the man could be found.

In February 2023, a man and his dog, walking the banks of Center Hill Lake, discovered a human skull about 50 yards from the shoreline, lodged in a fallen tree on a steep embankment. Authorities say the skull appears to be a recent death rather than an archeological find.

Sheriff Ray said, as the crow flies, the location of the crash site to where the skull was found was approximately 1.6 miles away, though with the rugged terrain actual distance is actually much further. Though the remains have not been identified, Ray said Braswell is the only missing person reported in that area.

Sheriff Ray said the search for Braswell was hampered by the fact the man had warrants for his arrest and that the man was actively avoiding detection after the crash. That, coupled with the possibilities of the man being injured, made it hard for Braswell to be located. Speculation is Braswell was attempting to reach a neighborhood without being found by law enforcement, but then became lost on the steep ridges in the area.

An area of about 10 acres was searched this week. Sheriff Ray said, “Today we found more remains including a scapula (shoulder blade) and a mandible (jawbone). We also found a portion of a pair of blue jeans fitting the description of those Braswell was wearing and a key lanyard with keys on it.”

“I want to thank everyone for their help today,” Sheriff Ray continued. “The terrain has been very rough and it was a difficult search. We will continue our investigation and will hopefully have some answers at a later date.”

The Forensic Anthropology Search and Recovery (FASR) Team is a group of MTSU students selected through a competitive application process. These students excel academically and professionally and volunteer their time assisting at skeletal crime scenes and the morgue. They receive specialized training in human osteology and forensic scene recovery.

This team is under the direction of MTSU professor and forensic anthropologist Dr. Tiffany Saul. Dr. Saul received her training at the University of Tennessee at the internationally known Body Farm.

Braswell was last seen wearing blue-jean shorts and possibly a white tank top shirt. He stands six feet tall and weighs 150 pounds. His hair and eyes are brown in color and he has facial tattoos with a money sign “$” over his right eye and the name “Kim” over his left eye. Braswell has a mustache/goatee. Braswell was reported not to have a primary address.