A New Orleans couple discovered a 2,000-year-old Roman tombstone while clearing brush in their backyard, sparking an international investigation involving the FBI. Daniella Santoro and Aaron Lorenz found the marble slab with Latin inscription in their Carrollton neighborhood home, initially thinking it might be from a local cemetery.

The Latin text identified the stone as a Roman sailor's grave marker for Sextus Congenius Verus, who served 22 years in the military. The inscription matched a missing artifact from Civitavecchia's city museum in Italy, where it had been housed since its original discovery near Rome's ancient port.

FBI's Art Crime Team recovered the artifact, which investigators believe was taken by an American soldier during World War II. The trail led to Charles Paddock Jr., who served in Italy and returned to New Orleans in 1946 with his Italian wife. The stone had been stored in his home before being moved to the backyard decades ago as garden decor, where it remained until the recent discovery.

Quick Fact: The tombstone belonged to a Roman sailor who lived 42 years and served 22 in the military.