NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — 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.
Investigators have identified some possible suspects through the years, but haven't been able to collect enough evidence to get an indictment.
Detectives working on the case encourage anyone with information on what happened to come forward.
"There are people out there that know exactly who did this to him and why they did it," said Detective Matthew Filter with the Metro Police Department's Cold Case Homicide/Missing Persons Unit. "But they aren’t willing to share everything they know. This family has waited a long time to get answers."
Smith's obituary stated he was a loving father with a large extended family. He graduated from Pearl Cohn High School in 2000, and also graduated from Miller Motte Technical College for Welding.
If you have any information on who killed Mathias Smith 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.
Fostering Hope provides Christmas for kids in foster care. I'm delighted to see Fostering Hope expand this year to expand their reach to now include kids in Foster care in metro AND foster kids in East TN hard hit by Helene.
-Bree Smith
