Police have announced they’ve found human remains not far from Taylor Swift’s Rhode Island estate.
According to TMZ, the discovery happened Wednesday morning (May 14) in Westerly, an affluent coastal town known for its beaches and historic homes, including the pop superstar’s 1930 colonial-style residence. Local authorities told the outlet they were summoned to Everett Avenue around 9:30 a.m. where they discovered what appeared to be a human leg.
The Rhode Island Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed their team is examining the bone to “determine their history.” A representative from the Westerly Police Department Detective Division said officers are looking into the matter but don’t suspect foul play; however, some locals are understandably worried about the finding.
“I think finding a leg is very suspicious,” Westerly resident Taylor Day told NBC 10 WJAR. Day mentioned she happened to be driving past the scene as investigators showed up. “I saw three police cars — one undercover— two looked like Westerly town police officers, and there was a medical examiner pulling in behind me. It kind of alarmed me, and it was just something very out of the ordinary for Westerly.”
Day also informed the outlet that the remains were discovered just “a couple football fields away” from Taylor Swift’s Watch Hill property, commonly known as the “Holiday House.”
“I would never expect anything like that — especially not in Watch Hill,” Day added. “My mind immediately went to all the theories that are being thrown around. I’m more aware of my surroundings. I don’t go [to] places that are kind of dim or where I could be alone. Just trying to stay out in public and be vigilant.”
Swift bought the Westerly home in 2013 for $17.75 million. According to the Providence Journal, Swift began renovating the property in early 2025 with plans to add a bedroom and more bathrooms. The house also inspired Swift to write “the last great american dynasty,” a track from her 2020 album, Folklore.
The Grammy-winner told Entertainment Weekly the song was influenced by the life of Rebekah Harkness, a socialite who previously owned the Holiday House.
“I got the house when I was in my early twenties as a place for my family to congregate and be together,” she told the outlet. “I was told about her, I think, by the real estate agent who was walking us through the property. And as soon as I found out about her, I wanted to know everything I could. So, I started reading. I found her so interesting. And then as more parallels began to develop between our two lives — being the lady that lives in that house on the hill that everybody gets to gossip about — I was always looking for an opportunity to write about her. And I finally found it.”
