Bagpiper who played for King Charles dies in scuba diving accident before grim treehouse discovery
Henry Frantz, 74, who played bagpipes for King Charles and US presidents, was killed in a scuba diving accident off the coast of Maui - before his family found a horror movie scene in his back garden
A family clearing out the home of a late local bagpiper were horrified when they discovered a human skeleton in his back garden. Henry Frantz, 74, was scuba diving off the coast of Maui on March 10 when he tragically lost his life. But when his family showed up at his home in Decatur, northeast Atlanta on March 16, they discovered the human remains of his son, also named Henry, in a treehouse. Henry Doyle Colon Frantz was 28 years old when he vanished four years ago.
The body has not yet been formally identified by officials, but Frantz's daughter believes it's her brother. DeKalb Medical Examiner chief deputy investigator Jess Dillard said: "We are working on confirmation of his identification at this time. We are pretty certain we have his identity, just waiting on dental or DNA. The remains were skeletonized. No obvious signs of injury or trauma."
Two investigations are now underway - one in Maui relating to Frantz's death, and another in Decatur into the death of his son. Foul play is not suspected in either case.
Rebecca Frantz Culpepper, the victim's daughter, explained that her dad - who had five adult children - was busy globe-trotting a lot of the time, and family members rarely visited his home.
Fran, his late wife, passed away in 2018 and he's lived alone since.
He was known locally as the "bagpiper of Decatur", and was often hired to play at private celebrations and public events.
"People have to let go and for some reason, a lot of people and preachers think the pipes at a grave site… helps to let go and is a letting-go facilitator," he told local paper Decaturish.
"I know that I am performing something valuable in that instance."
He was also a founding member of the Atlanta Pipe Band, which played for King Charles, Presidents Carter and Bush, Mikhail Gorbachev and even the Dalai Lama.
After his passing, the band wrote: "His dedication, kindness, and high standards inspired generations of pipers,' the band wrote online to honour his death.
"Beyond music, Henry's curiosity led him to travel the world, explore fossils, and pursue scuba diving.
"He will be deeply missed but never forgotten."