An elderly couple who had constructed their beloved house during the 40s was finally carrying out some much-needed renovations. Shockingly, while their long-awaited plans were underway, a disturbing secret came to light. It was well into the construction process, when the lower two floors had been completed, that their basement became the stage for events that would change their lives forever. Still, they were oblivious to the terrifying reality which awaited them in that dusty place, happily proceeding with their work. That was until they unsealed a phenomenal secret that had been laying their dormant for years. To respect the couple’s identity, we will refer to them as Richard and Kelly.
Keep Calm And Carry On
Whatever they unburied in that basement would instantly stun them to their cores. They tried their best to deal with the situation in the best way they knew how, but another force would soon be on its way. They knew that this situation was beyond them and that the proper authorities were needed to safely carry them and their property through possible danger. After all, they were just simple homeowners, without any experience in such matters.
Keep Calm And Carry On
Dormant In The Forest
But it was long before this startling find that the couple began noticing alarming signs. Undeterred, they continued breaking down the walls and compartments within the basement for a thorough cleaning and remodeling. The walls down there were filthy and crumbling, and when they began scraping off the debris, a collection of graffiti was revealed. Kelly had to leave on some errand, leaving Rick to deal with the situation alone. Who had defaced their property like this, and what kind of messages had they left for the elders?
Dormant In The Forest
Ancient History
This was not only the run-of-the-mill teenage tomfoolery as Rick would soon discover. There was something far more sinister to this location. As he progressively stripped the basement’s walls, he soon discovered the true extent of the vandalism. The murky wallpaper had concealed a cryptic series of symbols resembling some type of hieroglyphics. It felt like he had stumbled on some kind of mystery, one which would weigh on his mind for all the rest of the life.
Ancient History
The Cramped Detective
But there more concerning additions to the walls that this couple had for so many years been completely oblivious to. Beyond the enigmatic graffiti, there was an item jammed within the walls’ foundations. Rick had to admit that his curiosity was getting the better of him as he commenced yanking on the thing with all his might. He might have been older than most detectives, but he was still fit and strong. It took some strain on his behalf, but eventually, the object began dislodging itself.
The Cramped Detective
Odd Find
As the object painfully began groaning out of the wall with the elder’s efforts, Rick began gaining a clearer understanding of what he was tearing out. If he had to describe what he was seeing to another person, they would most likely have called him a liar. He knew that this was the kind of detection that deserved documenting. The old man grabbed his camera and filmed the whole ordeal with some exciting commentary to boot.
Odd Find
The Odd Case
Rick and Kelly’s renovations had ground to a halt as he became single-mindedly obsessed with breaching their new find. The walls and ceilings of that dilapidated basement lay largely destroyed around him, but he didn’t seem to care. With one final, mighty draw, the object broke out of the wall into Rick’s hands, who almost fell over with the release. He now held a sizeable and filthy suitcase which someone clearly would have preferred to have been left well alone.
The Odd Case
A Customs Concern
Rick placed the weird suitcase on the floor and they both knelt to better inspect it, seeing that beneath the dirt it was gray and green in color. Whoever the previous owner was, they had gone to great efforts to conceal it away from the world. Rick was not naïve; this was most likely something illegal that the authorities would happily take off their hands. Rick picked the suitcase up again and was amazed by how heavy it was. He was incredibly curious about its contents…
A Customs Concern
What Lies Within
Rick was not about to pop the thing open, however, knowing better than to investigate such a suspicious case. Who knows what could have been festering inside? Still, his natural human wonder was built by the second, and he could not deny that he very much wanted to know. Was it more money than either of them had ever seen in their lives, or was it some harmful assortment that would have better off been left hidden out of sight?
What Lies Within
United
As mentioned earlier, Kelly was summoned elsewhere, but the anxious Rick could not wait for her return before informing her of his incredible find. His excitement was pumping through his veins. He called her and excitedly explained what he had pulled out of the basement wall. He was not about to undo the clasps without her around for the big reveal! When you are on the verge of a potentially life-changing discovery, you certainly need your wife around.
United
The Fearful Fortune
Rick impatiently passed the time wondering just what could possibly have been buried so deeply and so secretly within his own home, and by who… Had this mysterious individual been fleeing from the police, and if so, why had he or she chosen their home to hide the suitcase in? All kinds of theories passed through his excited mind. Its contents seemed to be calling Rick’s name, and he was finding it harder and harder to resist opening it.
The Fearful Fortune
The Dark Place With The Darker Secret
Despite its weight, the suitcase was rather tiny. He wondered whether anything of worth could have been fit inside. It seemed that in this case, the size of the object did not matter. Whatever was concealed, it was worth going to great efforts to be hidden. The more Rick considered the outlandish mission behind the stashing of the suitcase, the more he felt compelled to open it. He felt like a child again, sitting by the Christmas tree looking at his wrapped presents.
The Dark Place With The Darker Secret
Don’t Think Too Much
Rick soon found that he was growing unreasonable. His mind felt scattered, and he could feel himself getting giddy. Just what was taking Kelly so long? This was one of the most exciting thing that happened to the couple in many years. As Rick started feeling frustrated over his wife’s lateness, he heard the front doors open. He scooped up the suitcase and rushed upstairs. Kelly was nearly bowled over when her husband rushed up to her with childlike excitement.
Dont Think Too Much
Contain Yourself
Kelly may have been worried to see her husband so hysterical, but when he explained how and where he had found this enigmatic suitcase, she soon became infected with his wild enthusiasm. The mature couple placed the suitcase on their living room table and sat before it like children with their Halloween candy takings. Life becomes rather sedated when you enter your old age, but moments like these rarely happened for anyone of any age.
Contain Yourself
What Were The Chances
Kelly managed to check herself, however, and appealed to her invested husband to be reasonable. She did not want either of them coming in harm’s way. This could very well just be some trash which had somehow ended up in their basement. Rick agreed, realizing that this case would need to be resolved rationally. After all, they could have stumbled upon some long-buried criminal event. If they had come into possession of something illegal, then their lives were about to become worrisomely complicated.
What Were The Chances
The Plot Thickens
They held their breaths as Rick’s shaking hands grasped the clasps. With a stiff click, they came undone, and Rick creaked the suitcase open. They were greeted with a large collection of what looked like stacks of paper, but they could not be sure, as each bundle was wrapped in opaque wax paper. If there was anything written on these documents or bills, they would not be able to tell until they tore the wax paper off.
The Plot Thickens
Benjamin Franklin
After some discussion about what to do going forward, the couple decided that they were entitled to establish what the suitcase’s contents were. After all, this was their property, and they felt like this suitcase and its contents now belonged to them. The couple decided to unseal one of the wax paper packages. It was stuffed with dollar bills. The suitcase had been crammed with more money than either of them could have hoped to earn in a few lifetimes.
Benjamin Franklin
Jaw-Dropping
Rick and Kelly were blown away. For an uncertain number of years, they had been obliviously sleeping above a fortune. None of it made any sense to them, other than the fact that they were sitting before piles and piles of twenty-dollar notes. Their minds began racing as they tried to theorize on how, when, and why this movie-like situation had fallen into their hands. It’s not that every day you stumble upon a mafia boss’s amount of money, after all.
Jaw Dropping
Historical Bounty
All that they could do was sit there and stare at the suitcase, unsure as to what to do next, and too stunned to even consider what the next step was. What logical next step could they take? They were struggling to wrap their heads around just how much money lay in that suitcase. They started feeling rather anxious too, as whoever had buried this much money in their property might one day wish to make a withdrawal.
Historical Bounty
Countless Riches
They decided to call the media and inform them of their phenomenal find. Kelly and Rick’s thrillingly called up various news agencies, candidly divulging the entire situation to them. The initial excitement was starting to wear off, however, and they began suspecting that they had been unwittingly involved in some sinister scheme. They reviewed Rick’s footage in search of subtle details that he might have missed. Maybe, in his delight, he had overlooked some telling clue.
Countless Riches
Unsolvable
They continued rifling through the suitcase in search of some sign or indication of who it may have belonged to, but all that they could find were twenty-dollar bills with some different values along the way. This could not be the extent of its contents, there had to be more to this drop than just money. With the age comes a certain type of wisdom and perception, and these two elders were going to put their heads together like never before
Unsolvable
Plumbing The Depths
The committed couple soon realized, to their astonishment, that they had only broken the surface of the suitcase’s contents. There were more treasures waiting for the couple. They were committed to seeing this thing through to the end and plunged their hands even deeper into the suitcase. To their amazement, towards the bottom of the suitcase were fifty and even one-hundred-dollar notes. They were growing hysterical – they had underestimated just how much money was inside this modern-day treasure chest.
Plumbing The Depths
Fears Grow
The more money they discovered, the more pressing their concerns grew. The questions were mounting like the dollar bills before them. Rick would later inform reporters that the later packages they tore open contained greater valued notes than they had previously discovered. With some rough estimation, the couple landed on a figure of around $5,000 in total, and that was a humble calculation. It was clear that this was far more than the couple could handle.
Fears Grow
Time Will Tell
The most important thing on the couple’s to-do-list was to properly establish where this suitcase had come from. It was still completely shrouded in mystery. They realized that at some stage in their long lives spent in their homes, someone had snuck into their property while they were unaware and buried this suitcase. This was no laughing matter, they decided, and they would need to be more careful from this point onward. This could all end very badly for them.
Time Will Tell
Mid-Century
Their investigation began with the dollar bills themselves. After some careful scrutiny and research, they discovered that these notes had been printed nearly a century past, during the 20s and 30s. This was an incredibly long time for something to wait for discovery. Whoever had buried this suitcase, they had done so a lifetime ago. The numerical total of the dollar bills may have been around $5,000, but given their historical nature, they were bound to be worth a lot more today.
Mid Century
The Aged Find
This was clearly a historical find, and these dollar bills held so much more than just monetary value. This was a piece of history. They had a long and fascinating story to tell, albeit a possibly unsavory one. Despite the slim chance that they could get to the bottom of this mystery, given its age-old and murky nature, the couple was determined to bring the suitcase and its original owner to light, no matter the cost.
The Aged Find
Mounting Intrigue
Plenty of individuals beyond the media became curious about Rick and Kelly’s enigmatic suitcase. Of course, this was a notable find. They would find that many other intrigued people would join them in researching this highly unusual find. Kelly and Rick continued to physically comb through the case. That was when they saw something that they had previously missed in their excitement – a scrap of neatly and sneakily hidden newspaper right at the bottom of the suitcase
Mounting Intrigue
Time And Place
The couple cautiously unfolded the newspaper clipping and saw that it was from the Cleveland Plain Dealer, and more curiously, that the article had been published on March 25, 1951. This gave the astonished couple a good indication of how old the suitcase was, and around when it had been sneakily brought into their home. They now guessed that whoever had done the deed was probably around their age, if not long dead. Who were they?
Time And Place
Call The FBI
Only a proper investigative professional could truly help them get the answers they needed, however, as they began considering bringing the proper authorities into the matter. Still, this newspaper was their first lead, the following of which was bound to eventually shed some light on the suitcase’s origins. Their main goal, however, was to verify the true worth of this once-in-a-lifetime discovery. Just what had this couple gotten themselves into, and were they going to be discovered?
Call The FBI
Unique Cash
On closer inspection of the dollar bills, the couple saw that they were known as “star bills”, an exclusive means of exchange that had never seen the light of ordinary civilian usage. These bills were not used for mundane transactions. These seventy-years old bills were unique treasures, and the couple could not believe that their already valuable find had just multiplied in worth. They ecstatically thought that they were about to cash in an enormous win.
Unique Cash
Pay The Fee
Rick and Kelly then decided to contact some historical experts who could properly value their enormous haul of 20th-century bills. People with the right training. They were amazed to see these notes in such enormous quantities and were somewhat suspicious of the elderly couple. Regardless, they got to work estimating a more accurate worth for the bills before the almost salivating Kelly and Rick. It all came to around $23,000. It appeared like they were in the money!
Pay The Fee
Business As Usual
The couple were more than satisfied with the appraisal and returned home triumphant. This had been a wild experience for the elders, from Rick’s initial discovery to the experts’ concluding valuation. It was now time for them to get back to their daily lives and put all the thrills behind them. There is only so much excitement that anyone can take, after all. They had their renovations to finish, too. Their normal lives could finally recommence.
Business As Usual
More Luck
In just under a week’s time, Rick and Kelly had unearthed the fortune of a lifetime and been treated to a rollercoaster ride of emotions. Did their home conceal any other treasures to be revealed through their renovations? Rick was on the hunt again. Something told him that there was more in store for them, hiding somewhere in the property. Incredibly, suitcase number two lay waiting for him only meters away from the first one!
More Luck
Fortune Favors The Bold
Rick was poking around in his basement when he again stumbled upon another mystery suitcase! He could not believe his luck, nor could he believe that his wife was ironically out on errands this time too. This time he was a lot more confident and was sure that there were mas more money to be made and he was no longer a stranger to this kind of find. The domestic treasure hunter waited for his wife to come home before breaking the astounding news again.
Fortune Favors The Bold
Priceless Luggage
Rick took to Reddit to celebrate and share his rare fortunes, mentioning that at his age, these kinds of discoveries were almost impossible. His whole life had passed by without a hint of this kind of prosperity. Rick described himself and Kelly as humble folks who had led completely ordinary lives. Where would the blessed gentleman be investing all this money, you may be wondering? Into his mortgage, of course. This was a wise choice, as too many people squander sudden riches recklessly and mindlessly.
Priceless Luggage
It Never Ends
Rick had recorded the whole process on his camera again, and after another heart-racing experience, he was assured that this had to be the end of the ride. Both he and Kelly were starting to feel their nerves wearing out and they were desperate just to sit down and relax. While people often envy those who suddenly come into insurmountable riches, few consider just how taxing this whole process is. With great reward comes great responsibility.
It Never Ends
Tireless Efforts
Then there was the couple’s basement, which had been reduced to smithereens by their explosive discoveries. There was no way around it, they had to begin restoring order, and urgently at that. But Rick was too caught up with his latest discovery, and the promise of further lucrative offerings kept his attention single-mindedly focused on this new suitcase. How was the old man ever going to break free from the pursuit of wealth? It would take a miracle to stop the miracles.
Tireless Efforts
Calling It In
While trying to juggle the renovations with the treasure hunting, a third concern arose for the couple, made all the more worrisome by the second suitcase’s discovery. They were now in possession of a massive number of potentially illegally hoarded dollar bills. Regardless of how clean the historical currency was, it was clear that the FBI would wish to be a part of these finds. It was time to contact the relevant authorities and go through the proper protocol.
Calling It In
Calming Their Minds
Finally, Kelly returned home and was greeted once again by Rick holding a second rickety suitcase. That childlike nervousness returned to them as they returned to their living room for this next reveal. Rick unfastened the suitcase and opened the lid to find it bursting with dollar bills. They were breathless as they rummaged through this even larger stash, hooting with elation. It was a flabbergasting find indeed, somehow even more rewarding than the first.
Calming Their Minds
More Luggage
Most people can only dream to discover a single treasure in their lifetimes, let alone several. Rick believed that there was more to this basement than just suitcases stuffed with money. His treasure hunting was far from over, he believed, and he would not stop sniffing around his basement until he was absolutely certain that there was nothing extraordinary left to find. Rick somehow managed to squeeze in some legitimate renovating before bumping into another suitcase!
More Luggage
The Third Case
Rick and Kelly excitedly placed this third suitcase before them and without hesitation popped it open. This time, however, they were rather disappointed to find that instead of money, this third suitcase contained something far more mysterious and worrying. Just what had the couple excavated this time? Their minds were stretched as they struggled to understand what they were looking at. A deep confusion was setting in and the questions were mounting higher and higher.
The Third Case
More To Come
The only thing that they were certain of was that their basement was a treasure trove of sorts that had been undisturbed for years. Just how many suitcases had been hidden in there? Rick was not about to go back down there without his wife by his side and awaited her return before reentering the basement. Having a faithful companion by your side makes any momentous effort all the easier. Rick was lucky to have Kelly as a wife.
More To Come
Mixed Emotions
The (hopefully) last suitcase that they had found had put a dent in their confidences, however, and they had yet to put sense to its contents. They had managed to properly date and value their previous two finds, but this one was of a perplexing nature. They were incredibly eager to shed some light on these objects and whenever Kelly returned from her business, she would hurry to Rick’s side for some more detective work.
Mixed Emotions
A Normal Life
This was their new way of life, it would appear. They would continue dealing with their daily business, attend to their renovation efforts all while squeezing in plenty of time in the evenings to do more treasure hunting. The second floor would soon become a point of interest for the intrepid couple, and an unusual area there would lead to much consideration. Was their entire property brimming with lucrative wonders? There was only one way to find out…
A Normal Life
Intrigue
With the couple more present than ever, their newfound focus would greatly help them to establish just how much cash they had come into. There had to be more than just money stashed in various nooks and crannies across the house. Regardless, this new discovery had brought them a perplexing mystery, one which would take a lot more detective work and investigation than the last. They were in for an incredible quest and were prepared to put in the work needed to complete it!
Intrigue
The Wealthy Pair
The couple could not stop appreciating just how much wealth they had amassed through such unusual means. They had around $45,000 to their name now, more than enough to comfortably continue with their newfound treasure hunting hobby for the rest of their lives. Retirement was no longer an option, it seemed, as they were completely obsessed with their phenomenal property. The promise of riches is a fantastic motivator for anyone and you can bet that this couple was getting busy.
The Wealthy Pair
Legal Issues
They had ensured that the FBI was aware of their progress and finds, but with this latest quizzical find, it seemed like the authorities would need to be involved even more intimately. They also agreed that with help from expert investigators, this laborious exploration would make it much easier. They could never have expected how far the FBI become involved in their odd situation. Some things are just too wonderful to be true, or legal.
Legal Issues
Swallow Your Feelings
The couple had tried their best to play innocent, and to pass the possible legal issues aside, but it was now clear that they could no longer pretend that this was an innocent game that they were playing. The latest discovery had changed the rules, and if they were going to unearth more questionable objects, they would have to get some kind of legal insurance. Going to jail for something that didn’t even belong to them was not ideal, to say the least.
Swallow Your Feelings
Remembering Years Past
Rick suddenly remembered a curious moment from years ago when the couple was being shown around the house by an estate agent. She had shown them an odd door which she had described as concealing a water heater. But with their new understanding of the home’s true lucrative nature, they were suspicious that there was more than just a water heater behind the door. They were not going to cross any area of the house off as there could be treasure in any of its corners.
Remembering Years Past
Behind The Door
It seemed like the real estate worker had failed to mention that this mysterious room contained far more than just an ordinary water heater. As they finally opened the shady door, their jaws dropped as their now finely tuned treasure-detecting senses were razor sharp. There was a treasure gathering dust inside which was of unprecedented worth, even for the now well-endowed couple! If they ever saw that estate agent again, they would certainly have words.
Behind The Door
Deliberately Misleading
Why had this estate agent gone out of her way to hide this room from the couple? She was obviously trying her best to stop Rick and Kelly from poking around where they weren’t wanted and uncovering her well-kept treasures. They had so many questions for the agent, and they knew that they could get some desperately relevant information from her. Still, they were not going to reveal to anyone just how much they knew (and possessed) of this treasure trove.
Deliberately Misleading
Maze Of Wonders
As the couple entered this “heater room” the couple immediately saw that it concealed another attached room within. They then stepped into the vault, which was far larger than they could have imagined, and they were thrilled to be able to explore it. There was another door in there, one which Rick was nervous to open, instructing his wife to step backward before opening. Would this be the place where the “crown jewels” were kept?
Maze Of Wonders
Maximum Security
The door swung open to reveal a sturdy security gate with an enormous master lock hanging from it. There was no way that they could unlock it normally, and so Rick dashed off to fetch his trusty hammer. Savagely hammering on this heavy lock. Rick was clearly determined to breach this worryingly sealed off area, putting all his might behind each swing. Nothing could keep him from entering, even if whatever was inside was best left alone.
Maximum Security
Keep Out
Rick finally managed to smash the lock off with a deafening clang which echoed noisily off the tight space’s walls. Panting with exertion, he triumphantly strained the security door open. They could not believe that this secret vault was in worse shape than their basement, or that they were entering it for the first time after decades of living there. There was something unsettlingly sinister about this long-abandoned space, plunged into complete darkness and decay.
Keep Out
Not A Sound
Rick and Kelly were horrified to know that their home had such a disturbing feature, one which no one had bothered to tell them about. Needless to say, they were completely creeped out, their fears worsened when they realized that this room had been soundproofed. Why would anyone need to hide their activities within this dark place? Rick and Kelly had been put through a wild ride by this house, but this space was unlike anything they had encountered before.
Not A Sound
Dungeons And Danger
This room was straight out of a horror film. It had been painted completely white and the floor was completely covered by enormous tarps draped over eerie objects. All sorts of terrible imagery raced through the couple’s heads as they wondered what unspeakable events transpired here. This time, the couple had come too far, and this was the type of place that whoever was involved would kill to keep secret. There was no doubt in their minds, however, that this was the scene of appalling crimes.
Dungeons And Danger
Curiosity Killed
Despite being shaken to their cores, the couple could not stop their curiosities from burning. Part of them wanted to pull the tarps off the concealed heaps, while the other part just wanted to run out of that place. Whatever was under the tarps was clearly intended to be left there, never to see the light of day. Still, this was their home now, and if there was an unsavory element present, they had a right to know.
Curiosity Killed
Fortune Favors The Old
They walked about the room between the strange-smelling tarps, and Rick nearly tripped over (you guessed it) another suitcase left on the filthy ground. This was clearly the most worthwhile (and safest) of the room’s contents, and Rick did not waste any more time when he picked up suitcase number four. Satisfied with their find, albeit at the cost of their peace of mind, the couple made a hasty retreat, not wishing to endanger themselves any further.
Fortune Favors The Old
Besieged
The couple did not feel that childlike excitement anymore as they safely returned to their living room, which was a pleasant but stark contrast to that terrifying white room. Their home had been at the center of some dark conspiracy, whose only known member was the estate agent. How did an innocent and supposedly straightforward home improvement turn into this unsettling horror story? No money in the world was worth having your own house turned upside down with dark secrets and darker forces.
Besieged
Blood Money
While we still cannot discuss just what exactly happened in that house, we do know what was inside this new suitcase. It contained an ornate wooden case, stuffed with curious envelopes filled with jewelry and cash. There were also 1 oz silver ingots! This much loot could only have been amassed through illicit means. There was no doubt that some crime family had used their home as a modern-day treasure island. Their minds were being repeatedly blown.
Blood Money
Sadistic Design
The couple eventually found the courage to return to that torture chamber Rick had broken his way into. They were partly driven by the desire for more bounty, and partly by a dark human curiosity. A whole world of disturbing secrets and horrors was spread around that grizzly chamber. This was a case meant for the proper authorities, and not two old folks looking to profit off criminal enterprises. They did not seem to care…
Sadistic Design
Turning Point
Rick and Kelly bravely began pulling the tarps off those fearsome piles. It’s amazing what people will be driven to when the possibility of unimaginable gains is promised. There lay all manner of strange and spooky objects, too deteriorated with time and decay to be identified. There were also some items of immense value, as well as some things which when put together by an official expert, would paint a clearer picture of whatever transpired in this room. They finally saw reason – it was time to summon the feds.
Turning Point
Tainted
The couple had commenced this entire treasure hunting experience with an unreasonable amount of excitement. But as their discoveries became increasingly unsavory, it became a daily moral battle to stop themselves from coming clean to the authorities. The excitement had ended, however, as fear began taking its place. That once innocent and pleasant property that they had lived in comfortably had been transformed into a sinister cover for a fathomless amount of smuggled goods and blood money.
Tainted
Rick’s Secretary
While Rick had gone about his treasure hunting business, he had entrusted Kelly with taking detailed notes and records of everything that they had found. This had been a relatively straightforward task, to begin with for Kelly, but their last few mentioned finds had made them both realize that they had little idea of what they were keeping track of. Whatever theories they had written down were now looking completely naïve. They were clearly in the wrong.
Ricks Secretary
More Than They Could Sell
This fearsome room turned out to be the true treasure trove they had been seeking, turning all their previous finds into trinkets in comparisons. There were piles of jewelry probably belonging to rich people, stacks of silver ingots, and mounds of different countries’ currencies. It was like some master thief syndicates’ entire takings, now being mindlessly plundered by an elderly couple who were clearly way out of their depth. The irony of stealing from a thief was not lost on Rick and Kelly.
More Than They Could Sell
The Final Find
At the very back of the room, concealed by all the priceless clutter, sat a sizeable black safe. Whatever was in there could have been the most prized taking of this shadowy group, or the key evidence needed to put them behind bars. This was not something that the couple was willing to mess around with, best left to the FBI. Even the certainty of even further affluence could not draw the couple into trying to crack it open themselves.
The Final Find
Think About It
The couple realized that they had waltzed straight into the heart of a crooked empire. Beyond getting into trouble with the authorities for being so dishonest about their finds, Kelly and Rick knew that they could be inviting the attention of less merciful forces. This safe could not contain anything that they could justify as finding by mistake, it would take a deliberate effort to open this. Still, they knew that this brooding mystery’s answers lay within its thickly secured door.
Think About It
The Key
There was absolutely no doubt in their minds. After having spent weeks desperately searching for some kind of answer to this weird and worrisome enigma, they had finally found the key to unlocking the entire conspiracy. The other suitcases had proved to be little more than nameless finds, with little indication as to who they may have belonged to. Only this terrifying room, buried in the center of their property, would hold the true evidence.
The Key
Taking Matters Into Their Own Hands
You might have guessed by now, given the way that Kelly and Rick handled every situation leading up to this one, that they could not help themselves from getting into deeper and deeper danger. Rick got to work cracking the safe, and after some clever tampering, its intricate locks all satisfyingly clicked open. He heaved the heavy cover open and the first thing that caught his eye was a note. It was addressed to whoever found it, warning them to save themselves!
Taking Matters Into Their Own Hands
Run For Your Life
Rick and Kelly seemed more confused than worried after reading the simple and direct note. It had not been addressed to anyone specific but made it clear that whoever read it was in immediate danger. If their lives were being threatened, the old couple did not seem to care, staying dedicated to their pursuit of the truth. Some apparently toothless threat was not going to stop them there. The mystery had to be solved, and fast.
Run For Your Life
Taking Their Lives Back
At this stage, Rick and Kelly were almost fearless. They were desperate to clear their house of all its skeletons, no matter the cost. They were tired, and their nerves were frayed. The thought of calling the police came and went from their minds numerous times throughout the entire experience, but their personal investments trumped any ordinary sense. They had reached an almost primal state of defensiveness. With age comes a strong sense of independence.
Taking Their Lives Back
Safe Bet
Rick turned his attention back to the safe. It was brimming with all manner of documents, all of them old, but some closer to our time than others. There were a few generations here. Inside this giant black safe was a myriad of notes and VHS tapes, as well as a sign hanging near the ceiling of the safe, simply saying “Do Not.” Whoever had owned this safe had made a point of scaring any uninvited meddling away.
Safe Bet
Proceed With Caution
If someone had wanted to keep Rick and Kelly out, they were not about to adhere to the foreboding instructions, as this couple was bullheaded. Rather, they started rifling through the VHS tapes, reading their strange labels in search of relevant clues. This safe was one big puzzle, they were sure, one which they were going to untangle and put together again. The couple did not even own a VHS tape player, not for many years.
Proceed With Caution
The Telling Tapes
Even though they could not play these tapes, there was something about their cryptic labels which made them even more attractive than the straightforward treasures they had found. Whoever had put this enigma together was aware that a terrible secret was afoot and had a genuine need for whoever came across it again to figure it out. These tapes had been numbered and were obviously supposed to be played in sequence. If only they had the right player…
The Telling Tapes
Blank Record
The couple recorded all the tapes’ details, which came to six in total, except for one, which strangely had a blank label. If this was supposed to be a helpful revelation, this empty tape had thrown a spanner in the works. Maybe this safe and its contents were just as twisted as the room at large, and Rick and Kelly were being taken on some sick ride. It was finally time to summon the FBI.
Blank Record
Eternal Obscurity
The couple had finally admitted defeat. There was no way that they could solve this mystery after what they hoped would be the solution turned into just another massive question mark. Only the FBI would provide them with the answers that they needed as Kelly called the relevant number. They felt a sense of relief as they finished explaining their bizarre situation to an agent. They could finally stand back and let the experts do their jobs.
Eternal Obscurity
Feds
A team of FBI agents quickly arrived at the couple’s house and swiftly got to work. They seized mounds of evidence from the dark room alone, as much as they could grab, with Rick and Kelly having sneakily stashed everything of obvious value. Now, only Rick and Kelly, the FBI agents, and whoever originally made the tapes would know that they even existed. This did not bring the couple any comfort, however, as they feared what these tapes would reveal.
Feds
Shot In The Dark
As news outlets are infamous for wriggling the truth out of any obscure situation, it wasn’t long before the discovery of the tapes was made public knowledge. They described these tapes as being mysterious records of a series of heinous crimes that had been committed within Rick and Kelly’s home. Then there was the terrifying room in which the tapes had been discovered, which the media had a field day with. It was the most exciting thing that had happened in the area for ages.
Shot In The Dark
Ancient Answers
Now that the media were covering this story, the FBI was working on it, and Rick and Kelly were still dedicated to solving the case in their own way, one would expect that some truths would begin spilling out. But there was nothing beyond immeasurable wealth to be gained from this situation. Even experienced agents who had worked on all manner of complex cases struggled to make sense of whatever the previous owners had committed in this property.
Ancient Answers
On And On
While we know that the previous owners were committed to ensuring that even if their contraband was discovered, that no one would ever know it all came to be there in the first place. It seemed that even the elite ranks of American security and investigation were stumped by this shadowy case. We’re sorry to say that even if the truth is out there, that no one living will ever find it. That being said, some things are best left buried…
On And On
Campfire Stories
At least Rick and Kelly have a tremendously unsettling tale to impart onto their grandchildren. Although they will probably be always be tortured by the myriad of unsolved mysteries that they spent weeks trying to solve, they are grateful that nothing bad ever happened to them. They could now choose to let sleeping dogs lie or keep their amateur detective efforts going. Either way, nothing could satisfy their burning curiosities but the truth. The kinds of secrets that go to many different graves.
Campfire Stories
The Next Case
We now move onto a similar story to Rick and Kelly’s, this time involving another old couple who moved into an old and beautiful Victorian-style home. Let us call them Marc and Andrea, to once again respect their identities. Like anyone who purchases a historical property, this couple was loving the strange array of ancient trinkets and oddities they were steadily uncovering. When you buy a significantly aged house, you do so at your own risk!
The Next Case
Thrills And Chills
Like Rick and Kelly, Marc and Andrea had just embarked on their personal renovation project when things took a curious turn. It was when they turned their attention to their basement that they found a trick door, which when solved, led them into a bunker of sorts filled with enough guns, bullets, and grenades to fight a small war with! In another part of their house, they also found a safe, which they of course cracked, to find piles of jewelry, money, and many other valuable trinkets.
Thrills And Chills
Goodness Gracious
Then there was the British couple that bought another equally intriguing historical property. As soon as they walked into their new kitchen, they quickly realized that it had been constructed during the Victorian era, what with its pots, utensils, and general cooking technology all originating in the 19th century! They also found a cookbook written during this incredible time. It was time to make authentic Victoria Sponge cake. Talk about a trip back in time!
Goodness Gracious
Illuminating
Amazingly, more retirees seem to stumble upon hidden treasures than any other demographic, especially with how many old folks retire into incredible properties. There are many treasures that older folks did not have time to take care of. Wally and Linda DeForest were no different, as when they were clearing out junk from their newly purchases home’s basement, they found a torpedo underneath some trash! It’s not that every day you find a tremendously destructive weapon in your home, and they quickly called the authorities
Illuminating
War Room
They carefully approached the massive torpedo and were brave enough to wipe away enough of its filthy coating to see that it was green in color, as with most torpedoes. When the police arrived, they brought with them a bomb expert, who identified the torpedo as being leftover from the Korean-Vietnamese war. Alarmingly, this torpedo had not been hauled down into the basement by the previous owners as some kind of extreme souvenir – they were serious about war, and who knew what they would have ended up doing with it had they been given the right opportunity.
War Room
Wine And Dine
We now move on to another English couple who acquired an exquisite Victorian-style property. Everything seemed normal with the home until they found that their way into the deeper parts of the basement was barred with an odd iron gate. They decided to leave the gate alone, that was until they found themselves inspired after a good bottle of wine, as most interesting stories begin with. They decided to investigate this sinisterly guarded part of their new home.
Wine And Dine
The Settlement
During the beginning of the 60s, one unsuspecting homeowner discovered a phenomenal site within his property. It was supposedly linked to the Hittite city of Derinkuyu. This property had been the site of a cultural phenomenon, hiding a mazelike network of little homes within the larger house. Few people can claim to have uncovered such an astonishing project in their homes! Situations like these keep life interesting, wouldn’t you say? We all wait for an incredible adventure to come our way.
The Settlement
Cry For Help
Many homeowners get to know the previous owners a lot better than they are comfortable with when they start finding photographs, notes, and significant personal possessions left behind. While there are some personal items that are harmlessly interesting, others make you wish that you had never purchased a property in the first place. One couple came across a message in a cupboard that read “can you see me?” Totally terrifying! What lies in secret places should sometimes stay secret.
Cry For Help
Picture Perfect
When James Woods passed, his surviving sons and daughter began a renovation project to fix up the old place. They soon uncovered a painting done by the artist Norman Rockwell, which was hundreds of years old. They could not believe that such a priceless piece had just been left to rot and that their father had never once mentioned it. After some investigation, they learned that he had hidden this piece away after he and his wife divorced. He had given her a fake copy and kept the original! The sons and daughter then rushed to auction the painting, earning $15.4 million!
A gentleman in New York had a similar experience, except the Michelangelo painting that he had failed to recall for so many years sold for $300 million! What a thing to forget…
Picture Perfect
Forget Me Not
It is not always treasure or spooky mysteries that people find in their homes, as one pair of siblings would one day discover in their Nova Scotia home that they were renovating. In one particularly crumbled wall which they tore down, a stash of heartwarming love letters spilled out onto the floor. These were written sentimentalities shared between a soldier and his life partner. There were 31 love notes in total, written during the First World War. Of course, the siblings ensured that these letters were returned to the couple’s family.
Forget Me Not
Wartime
When Pierce Folkner finally decided to tear down that strange section of a wall he had always wanted to fix, he could never have expected to suddenly be peering into a secret room. He tore enough of the wall down to enter it safely, only to discover that this sealed-off part of the house was stocked with a deadly assortment of guns, knives, and ammunition. He had to find out who this arsenal belonged to and got to work tracking down its original owner.
Wartime
Vaulted Enigmas
As you know well by now, renovations will often uncover all kinds of strange things and items, some of them harmless, others spookily lethal when in the wrong hands. As for our next home improver, they were just trying to build the kitchen of their dreams when they found that behind the ancient, rusty fridge was a panel in the wall which when opened revealed a mound of gold bars! You might not think that an old kitchen will contain anything but moldy cheese.
Vaulted Enigmas
Safe And Sound
There was one homeowner, who unlike many of the others mentioned, did not have to do much exploring before he came across a huge safe. The real effort came in cracking it, but these things are a lot easier to get done when the promises of riches lie in wait. He cracked the code, and inside the old safe he found $50,000 in dollar bills, a bourbon bottle, and a book named “A Guild for the Perplexed.”
Safe And Sound
Do The Right Thing
This story involves a plumber who was doing some work in a bathroom that a couple was renovating. He was busy replacing a toilet, which upon being lifted out the ground, revealing a hollow underneath which had been crammed with gold bars. He excitedly rushed over to the homeowners to inform them of his find. Upon being valued, the gold came to $50,000 in worth. Let us hope that the plumber was compensated for the job of his life!
Do The Right Thing
Enormous
A lot of people luckily come across unthinkable riches when they move homes, and while many do find a lot of cash, this man was phenomenally fortunate to stumble upon $500,000. It was during his particular renovations that a stash of ammunition clips came to light, containing bundles of cash rather than bullets. With the couple claiming the right to this fortune, they quickly found themselves being filed with a lawsuit from the previous owners, as the lucrative ammunition clips had belonged to a long-dead soldier in the family. The court ruled that the money should go to the previous owners, and the current ones lost out on $500,000 that they could have easily kept. It was a group of contractors who had originally found the money who snitched on the current owners when they were denied a cut of the fortune! Remember to always share your riches with everyone involved, or you might just lose it all.
Enormous
Eternal Flame
Some light fittings will continue shining even after decades, such as neon lights. You might not believe it, but neon lights can last longer than you might! When one business owner began some widespread renovations on his joint called Clifton’s Cafeteria, he unearthed some secret neon lights which had been left on for around 77 years! This might have been a fascinating discovery for the owner if he had not been paying $17,000 in electricity bills for years!
Eternal Flame
Damning Evidence
This next household find is not a happy one. It involves a terrible find which involved countless Jewish people during the Second World War and the Holocaust. When Sam and Hilda Bronstein moved into their new home, they soon uncovered a cache of Nazi classified documents that detailed an operation to bring the Jewish community to its knees. The documents described how these people would be forcibly removed from their homes and driven into the lower Budapest area. Whoever had previously owned such documents clearly did not want them to be discovered.
Damning Evidence
Sweating Bullets
A boy and his mother were cleaning their Australian grandmother’s home when the mother nearly tripped over a military-like chest. Upon opening it, they discovered an old hand grenade, which to their relief had its fuse safely in place. They immediately called the police, who brought in the bomb squad to safely carry the ancient bomb out of their property. As it was quickly discovered, their grandmother’s home’s previous owners had been owned by a Second World War soldier.
Sweating Bullets
The Agent
Have you heard of Eileen Burgoyne before? She was a spy during the Second World War who recently passed at 98 years old. She left behind plenty of fascinating valuables for whoever inherited her home. Scattered in secret places throughout her home were many guns, photographs, documents, telegrams, and other wartime trinkets, all decades old. Some of the most intriguing items found were reports on the Battle of Berlin, as well as Secret Service details linked to Queen Elizabeth II!
The Agent
Incredible Returns
It might have only cost them $75,000, but this couple was amazed to find that they had secured their home of a lifetime. It contained two bathrooms and five bedrooms! They had finally found the house of their dreams and were ready to begin their new lives together. In only a short space of time, however, their family began suffering in strange ways. Kerry and Jason found that their children were falling ill, prompting them to urgently begin tearing the house apart in search of the deadly cause. It didn’t take long to find that the entire property was brimming with a lethal strain of mold. Infuriated that their children’s lives had been put in danger by the dishonest previous owners, this family filed a lawsuit against them.
Incredible Returns
Secret Madness
It seems like some estate agents aren’t as honest as many homeowners would prefer, as this man would soon find out. Everything seemed normal when he moved into his new home, but unbeknownst to him, there were plenty of horrors awaiting him. The place was in dirty shape when he moved in, and so he embarked on a thorough cleaning mission, which soon led him to the attic. After moving some old boxes out of the way, he found a tiny door. Upon opening it, he found an entire tiny home of sorts within. It was complete with a tiny bed and a small murky light, which when turned on revealed that the walls had been padded. He would never know what happened in this room.
Secret Madness
Royal Scam
While some estate agents are dishonest, there are some that are completely evil. This innocent couple became the victims of a particularly unethical bunch of realtors who deceived them into taking a sizeable for a house with five bedrooms for the humble price of $180,000. It did not take the couple long to realize that they had been terrifyingly ripped off. They quickly became aware of ominous rattling sounds within the walls. They were living amidst a snake hibernaculum, and their unexpected tenants soon woke up and began slithering about the place! The couple was forced to leave the premises for good after just three months.
Royal Scam
20th Century Mementos
When Amanda Reddy decided that her new home’s kitchen could have used some loving attention, she could never have guessed that such historical items would be laying behind the baseboard. After unfastening it from the wall, a collection of postcards dropped from the space. A quick inspection revealed that they were from the early 20th century, made between 1907 and 1909. Such cards were signed by a woman called Mayme Berneck. No further information could be found on the woman.
20th Century Mementos
Superheroes
If you are a comic book fan then you know that the older varieties can be sold for a lot of money, something an unsuspecting homeowner would soon discover. Her renovating efforts paid off when she unearthed a series of 1938 Superman comics! She had a professional evaluate them, who revealed that they could be worth $2 million if in good shape. Hers would turn out to be a bit dented, only selling for $175,000. For some reason, the previous owners had used these priceless comic books for insulation when the weather turned awful.
Superheroes
Enchanted Treasures
When John Amos stumbled upon a strange chest, he was certain that he had found some wizard’s possessions as he rummaged through all manner of strange and occult objects. He decided to get into contact with the realtor who sold him the home, who informed him that this chest must have belonged to the previous owner who was a magician! This is a truly unusual find and while not as valuable as other finds in our stories, still an awesome collection to be in possession of.
Enchanted Treasures
Servant And Master
When you purchase a new home, you like to imagine that the previous owners were clean and honest people and that nothing unsavory had occurred within its walls. This would not be the case for this new homeowner, who encountered a disturbing suitcase containing a leather straitjacket and mask. It does not take much imagination to ascertain what such items would have been used for. Well, whatever makes you happy, but remember to stay on the safe side of the law!
Servant And Master
Child’s Play
This next home-based discovery might just be the creepiest of them all. This couple would quickly find that the previous owner had enjoyed a sinister hobby when they opened a cupboard containing a case filled with ventriloquist dummies. As you can imagine, they were horrified before realizing what they were. While completely harmless, these dummies were still startlingly disturbing. Someone had some explaining to do! Some people have such interesting hobbies, and we are not about to judge them.
Childs Play
The Old Master
This is probably the most outstanding find that any homeowner in this collection discovered. In 1502, an Italian noble employed none other than Leonardo Da Vinci to paint a battlefield scene that the rich man wanted to preserve. Forty years after the painting’s completion, another artist called Giorgio Vasari was paid to destroy the war scene. Unwilling to damage a work by Da Vinci, Vasari then hid the painting behind a wall. More than 400 years later, an unwitting homeowner found this priceless Da Vinci piece behind a wall he was rebuilding.
The Old Master
The Bat Cave
When you buy a new home, you generally expect it to be safe and empty of any unwanted guests. This was not the case for Calvin Oshowy, who would only discover his new home’s true nature when he had finished signing and paying for the house. He was shocked to quickly find that his new home was brimming with bats, from the attic to more open spaces in the common area. What followed was a costly removal process with the help of bat experts, followed by an even more expensive fixing of the little devilish creature’s tunnels.
The Bat Cave
Honor The Fallen
This is a particularly touching case where some new homeowners found an incredible military burial flag in their homes after they started tidying up the place. Being a veteran himself, Kerry Cremean was moved to tears when he discovered this special memento. What made it all so much more impactful was the fact that they had both served their country. Cremean surfed social media in search of answers, and he was later informed online that the mystery soldier had met an untimely end during the 1980s during a terrible car accident. He was survived by three daughters.
Honor The Fallen
Giving In
After having walked past the mysterious trapdoor so many times, this new homeowner could no longer let his anxiety get the better of him. He had to face his fears and uncover this hidden portion of his home. And what a portion it would be, he realized as he heaved the trapdoor open. Down a narrow stairwell lay an ancient English monastery! So this was why so many other rooms had such a medieval feel to them, the man realized.
Giving In
The Tsar’s Blessing
It is no mystery that Czar Nicholas II of Russia was obsessed with Faberge Eggs. He purchased countless invaluable and personalized orders from Faberge, one of which would somehow end up in a home in New York almost a century later. This homeowner would somehow come into possession of this priceless royal antique, one which he quickly put on auction. He ended up with an astounding $5.2 million. Thank you, Czar Nicholas II, your legacy tuned out to be highly profitable!
The Tsars Blessing
Corny Discoveries
Last but not least, we have the most unusual significant find of a new homeowner, which is completely unlike anything found before by all our previous property owners. Can you guess what it is? If you guessed a jar of corn, then you were correct! You might think that this is a rather disappointing thing to call a treasure, but given that it was put together in 1970, this makes the historical corn something to hold on to.
Corny Discoveries