Salt factory workers getting prepped for cold weather made a truly bizarre find when they discovered a human heart on site.
Employees at the Tennessee Department of Transportation facility in McEwen, near Nashville, were shocked to make the discovery last Thursday (15 December).
As the workers made preparations for the cold weather, they found something they certainly weren't expecting in the salt barn as they came across the human heart.
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The organ, which tests determined to have belonged to an adult male, was dehydrated and initially, workers thought it to be a stone.
No official time frames have been confirmed but estimates believe it could have been there for a few weeks.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation have confirmed an investigation into the discovery is now underway and the area where it was found is now being considered a crime scene.
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It said in a statement: "At the request of 23rd Judicial District Attorney General Ray Crouch, TBI special agents are working along with deputies with the Humphreys County Sheriff’s Office.
"In investigating the discovery of a human heart in a TDOT salt facility in McEwen Thursday. An initial examination of the heart determined that it was that of an adult male."
Chris Davis, Humphreys County Sheriff, described the discovery as 'one of the most bizarre' things he's ever come across in his career.
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He said: "I've been on some crazy stuff, but this is by far, one of the most unusual crime scenes I've ever been on.
"Everybody's somebody's somebody, and at the end of the day it would bother me if I laid down my head at night not knowing that we'd done everything we can for this person and this person's family.
"I've got 32 years in law enforcement. I do have to say this is probably in the top 5 of most bizarre things that I've ever seen.
"At this time we don't feel that anybody's safety is in question."
The Sheriff added: "It was found in the salt where TDOT is preparing to attack the bad weather, severe weather conditions that we have.
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"At first they thought it was a rock. The process of what salt does to that, it dries it out.
"It's speculated that it could have been there for just a few weeks.
"TDOT's on board working with us to try and find any kind of information about where the salt came from and when it came in."
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