Mystery builds after police allege that Music Row attorney faked own death

One by one, Metro Police investigators found belongings of missing Music Row attorney Bill Grothe strewn randomly across East Nashville.

First, his Honda Civic was found parked by the boat ramp at Shelby Park on Nov. 19, the same night he was reported missing by his wife Jill Grothe.

Later that night, a grocery bag containing Grothe’s jewelry and credit card was found in front of a home in an East Nashville neighborhood.

Next came his wallet, found on the bank of the Cumberland River in the park, along with his Michigan baseball cap and his leather jacket.

In every instance, police said, it was clear that whoever left them behind wanted authorities to know the items belonged to Grothe.

These discoveries eventually led the Metro Police Department to allege this week that Grothe faked his own death and fled the state.

A call from Montana

Although Grothe’s whereabouts remain unknown, Metro Police are working with the Davidson County District Attorney’s office to determine possible criminal charges. At the very least, Grothe could be charged with filing a false report, said police spokesman Don Aaron.

That’s because police reports say that on Nov. 24 — just five days after he was reported missing — dispatchers at Nashville’s Office of Emergency Communications received a phone call from a man claiming he had murdered Bill Grothe.

Eventually, Homicide and Cold Case Detective Hugh Coleman matched the voice from that call to the voicemail message on Grothe’s personal cell phone.

Police now say the 62-year-old Grothe made the call himself.

Police say the call was made from Missoula, Mont., where Grothe checked into a motel room under his wife’s maiden name, according to detective work conducted by Coleman. The Office of Emergency Management said through a spokeswoman that it would not release the recording of the alleged call from Grothe because it was part of a potential criminal investigation.

However, motel staff in Missoula matched a photo of Grothe sent to them by detectives to the man who had checked in after he was reported missing, according to police.

Apparently, as Grothe was allegedly on his way to Montana, a thorough search for the Franklin family man was under way in Nashville.

The OEM sent divers into the Cumberland River to look for Grothe’s body. A police helicopter patrolled the air and a K-9 unit conducted a search of Shelby Park.

For weeks after Grothe was first reported missing, OEM sent a boat out onto the river to look for Grothe’s body.

“I don’t know what there is to say,” Jill Grothe told The City Paper after canceling an interview in late November. “Detectives say they’re just waiting for his body to surface.”

Police don’t know the motives for why Grothe would have faked his death and fled the state, but they pointed out he had a life insurance policy worth about $1 million. If Grothe had planned his disappearing act, detectives are looking into whether he acted alone or had help.

Aaron said Grothe’s wife was informed on Tuesday of the department’s conclusion that Bill Grothe faked his own death. Asked for a comment later, Jill Grothe told The City Paper, “I can’t speak about this,” and hung up the phone.

Stable family man

What makes the situation so confusing was that he seemed to be living a stable, family-oriented life.

His stepson Mathew Pauley told local television stations that Grothe was a family man looking forward to family events like his wife’s birthday and his stepson’s wedding in the coming months.

At the time of his disappearance, Grothe was working as a consultant for SESAC on the heels of a long career as a Music Row attorney.

During television interviews shortly after Grothe was reported missing, Pauley described his stepdad as a man who was not likely to break from his established routine.

Aaron acknowledged that police don’t know where Grothe might be. He could still be in Montana or anywhere else, he said.

The department’s focus now will be on what, if any, potential crimes might have been committed besides allegedly filing a false report. If it is proven that Grothe faked his own death, police would be looking for restitution for the resources spent attempting to locate him in the days after his disappearance, Aaron said.

Still, many questions in the case remain. In the press release which alleged his disappearance, police said they were still investigating whether he acted alone or in concert with others.

About two weeks after her husband was first reported missing, Jill Grothe sounded extremely upset as she recounted the events that unfolded.

“They (Metro Police) really don’t know what to think pretty much. The whole thing doesn’t make sense,” Grothe’s wife said at the time. “They’re finding belongings three miles away in the projects, and then his empty wallet, and he kept a baseball cap in his car for when he took walks.”

Police continue to ask that anyone with information concerning Grothe’s disappearance to contact authorities immediately.