A family doing a clean-out at the house of a deceased local bagpiper in Atlanta were left mortified when they stumbled upon a human skeleton in his garden. Henry Frantz, aged 74, met with tragedy while scuba diving near Maui on March 10.
However, it was a grim find on March 16 at his Decatur household that shocked his relatives, when they found the skeletal remains of his son - also called Henry - in a homemade treehouse. The younger Henry was just 28 when he disappeared without a trace four years ago.
Officials have yet to officially identify the remains, but the daughter of Frantz is convinced it's her lost brother. Jess Dillard, the chief deputy investigator at DeKalb Medical Examiner's Office, stated: "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."
There's now a dual investigation; one into the elder Mr Frantz's misfortune in Maui and another concerning the death of his son in Decatur. Neither incident is being treated as suspicious.
The late musician's daughter, Rebecca Frantz Culpepper, remarked that her father, who had five grown children, was often travelling the world and there weren't frequent visits to his home, reports the Mirror.
His wife Fran died in 2018, leaving him living him on his own.
A well-known figure in Decatur, he was affectionately dubbed the "bagpiper of Decatur", and was commonly booked to play at both private functions and public ceremonies.
"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 disclosed to Decaturish.
"I know that I am performing something valuable in that instance."
The bagpiper was not just any musician; he was a founding member of the Atlanta Pipe Band, impressing notables like King Charles, Presidents Carter and Bush, Mikhail Gorbachev, and even the Dalai Lama with his stirring performances.
Following his death, his bandmates paid tribute online saying: "His dedication, kindness, and high standards inspired generations of pipers," the band wrote online.
They also shared: "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."
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