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A human leg bone that washed ashore near Taylor Swift’s Rhode Island home has been identified as belonging to a missing Massachusetts man, local police said.
The remains, discovered on the morning of May 14 in the upscale Watch Hill neighborhood of Westerly, were confirmed by the Rhode Island Office of the State Medical Examiners to be those of 31-year-old Eric Wein.
Wein had been reported missing nearly a month earlier, on April 18, after his car was found abandoned on Ocean Avenue in South Kingstown.
Despite the chilling nature of the discovery, authorities say there are no signs of foul play. The South Kingstown Police Department announced last week that the case is now closed.
“We extend our deepest condolences to Mr. Wein’s family and loved ones during this difficult time,” officials said in a statement.
Wein’s good friend Nicole Leboeuf told Us Weekly that even though the case is closed, his friends and family may never have closure.
“There is no closure. We have no idea what happened or where the rest of him is,” she said. “Presumably, he is no longer with us, but without those answers, it’s hard to move on.”
Wein, who lived in Massachusetts, visited Rhode Island often to see his brother and friends, Leboeuf explained. But this time, just before he went missing, he had told his employer he was taking a week off due to “unforeseen circumstances” but that he would be back the following Sunday, his friend explained. But he was never seen or heard from again.
“Even if he walked a couple miles, he is not walking 16 miles. At some point, he ended up in the ocean, but we don’t know how,” Leboeuf said, mulling over the details. “We are still piecing it together. I went down a rabbit hole to find him. His keys and phone were never recovered or the rest of him. There wasn’t a note. There were no goodbyes.”
The grisly discovery, made just 0.3 miles from Swift’s sprawling seaside property in Watch Hill, one of Rhode Island’s most exclusive enclaves, has sparked alarm in the quiet coastal community.
Westerly resident Taylor Day, who drove past the scene as police arrived, told NBC10 the situation felt anything but ordinary.
“It’s just something very out of the ordinary for Westerly,” she said. “I would never expect anything like that — especially not in Watch Hill.”
Even as police insisted there was no foul play suspected, Day remained uneasy. “Finding a leg is very suspicious. I would definitely disagree with that.” Her suspicions echo growing unease across the region.
In recent months, at least 13 cases involving human remains have been reported in various New England states, prompting speculation among residents about a possible serial killer.
Authorities, however, have repeatedly stated that there is no connection between the cases and stress there is “no known threat to the public.”
Swift bought the 11,000-square-foot residence, which is nicknamed “Holiday House,” in 2013 for a whopping $17.75 million.
The “Bad Blood” singer hosted her Instagram-famous July 4 parties there from 2013 to 2016, with a guest list including celebrities such as Blake Lively, Gigi Hadid, and Swift’s then-boyfriend Calvin Harris.
Swift's 2020 album Folklore features the song "The Last Great American Dynasty," in which she draws parallels between herself and the home's former owner, Rebekah Harkness, for their shared experiences with public scrutiny.
Building permits from this year revealed that Swift, who is famously dating Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, is investing in a $1.7 expansion project for the home. This will include a kitchen makeover, an additional bedroom suite and more bathrooms.
