Skeletal Remains Found in Pigeon Forge Tent Identified

In a wooded area just off bustling Teaster Lane in Pigeon Forge, the remains of a man not seen in over a year laid in a tent until they were discovered last month and while investigators have identified the man, how he died is a mystery.

The Pigeon Forge Police Department said Wednesday that human remains found near Teaster Lane and Music Mountain Drive have been positively identified as 44-year-old Timothy C. Porter. He was not a resident of Pigeon Forge, but had been working construction jobs in the area and stayed in various local motels. Investigators say Porter was last seen in December 2015. His family was located in Alabama and notified.

A utility worker initially discovered the skeletal remains in a tent on Sept. 5, 2017. The Sevierville Police Department and agents from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation assisted the Pigeon Forge Police Department at the scene.

Porter’s ID and Social Security Card were found near the remains. The Regional Forensic Center made the identification based upon bone pattern in dental radiographs from UT Forensics Center. No evidence of significant recent trauma was found on the remains and the cause of death is undetermined.

Anyone with information about Porter is asked to call Detective Ralph Carr at 865-453-9063.