The decades-long mystery surrounding a man's fatal fall in Nashville has been resolved through the marvels of genealogical science. Donald Elden Verhalen, who died 31 years ago following a fall from a downtown library wall, has now been given a name, a story to be told. It was Othram Lab in Texas, known for their expert analysis in forensic genealogy, that made the crucial discovery by testing a bone sample from the deceased.

The fall, which occurred on August 7, 1993, resulted in a severe head injury for Verhalen, ultimately leading to his death at a local hospital. He was 56 years old at the time. According to a recent release from the Nashville government, detectives working on cold cases were able to piece to together that Verhalen had been estranged from his kin for years, hailing originally from Wisconsin. At his death, Verhalen was homeless, bereft of identification or a way to properly tell to truly identify him. Nashville.gov confirmed these details in their report dated September 10th, 2024.

The Medical Examiner’s Office had already ruled his death accidental all those years ago; yet, the anonymity of the man created a void, a question mark hanging over the city's history.