While in the middle of a home renovation, a couple from Ohio found something odd in their house. They were about to start working on renovating their basement, but they had no idea what would really be in store for them. The first thing they did during their basement renovation included peeling off the plywood from the ceiling. What they found would change their lives.
Demolition In Progress
They were intrigued by the object they found and started looking into matters some more. However, they had no idea they would need to get in touch with the FBI for what they would find.
The FBI Searched Their Home After A Renovation
Chipping Away
From the moment they started their basement renovations, this couple knew that they would be in for a bunch of surprises. The first thing the husband saw was graffiti hiding behind the walls! What they were going to find later, though, would change everything.
Chipping Away
A House Full Of Secrets
The homeowner was a bit taken back by what he found spread across the walls in his basement. The farther he got into his home renovation, though, the more he really wished that this graffiti was the most bizarre thing hiding down there.
A House Full Of Secrets
Stuck In The Ceiling
All of a sudden he realized that there was something stuck right between pillars on the ceiling. He tried to get a close look at what exactly he was staring at, as he had never seen this object before, but it was so perfectly-placed that he couldn’t figure out what it was. It was as if someone had deliberately placed it here. He had to use all of his strength to pull it down.
Stuck In The Ceiling
Found Something Strange
The homeowner documented every part of the home renovation on camera, and later on, he would be very thankful for doing such a thing. He didn’t tend to pay much attention to what was going on around him, he simply kept going with the renovation.
Found Something Strange
Mysterious Suitcase
When he started to rip off the ceiling to renovate, more pieces of the walls started coming down. He noticed something very odd, there was a suitcase stuck up there that he had never seen before. He wasn’t sure what to do with it; did someone leave it?
Mysterious Suitcase
Waiting For The Reveal
The gray and green suitcase was hidden so well that he had no choice but to think that perhaps someone hid it there on purpose. When he went to pick it up, he was blown away by how heavy it was. What could possibly be in there that would make it so heavy?
Waiting For The Reveal
One Heavy Suitcase
He had a gut feeling that there was something very weird in this suitcase. He knew he needed to be cautious with the way he handled it and what he did with it. He took a deep breath and decided he should open it to see what exactly was inside and making it so heavy.
One Heavy Suitcase
The Big Reveal
He called his wife and told her she needed to come home immediately. For starters, he did not want her to miss out on whatever he was about to find, no matter what it was. Secondly, he wanted her to be there just in case something was very much not okay inside of this suitcase.
The Big Reveal
What Could Be Inside?
He was certain that someone hid this suitcase on purpose, but he could not figure out why someone would do this. What were they hiding that was such a big secret? While he waited for his wife to come home, he started to open the suitcase little by little. He just couldn’t believe how heavy it was.
What Could Be Inside?
Big Dreams In A Little Suitcase
The suitcase itself was small in size, but it was incredibly heavy. Someone must have been hiding some big, dark secrets inside of this suitcase. Why else would they put so much effort into hiding it in such a mysterious and secretive place for no one to ever find it?
Big Dreams In A Little Suitcase
Maybe It was Nothing
His imagination was running wild with the possibilities of what could be inside of this suitcase. As soon as his wife walked in through their front door, he explained to her what he found and he told her they needed to open the suitcase right away.
Maybe It Was Nothing
Christmas
He must have felt like it was practically Christmas; he just found a box he wasn’t supposed to and he was opening it without anyone else’s permission! He couldn’t wait to see what was inside, though he was getting more nervous with every moment he waited.
Christmas
What’s Inside?
He wondered if he would find piles of money, old birthday cards, family photos, recipes, or anything else that you would normally store in such a secure place. He had so many ideas of what may be inside of this box, but when he opened it, he realized every thought he had was very far off.
What’s Inside?
Unwrapping The Mystery
At first, when they opened the suitcase, they weren’t really sure what they were looking at. What was so special about this? It was stuff wrapped in wax paper, but they couldn’t yet figure out exactly what this stuff was. They knew they had to keep unwrapping things to find out.
Unwrapping The Mystery
Full of Money
With every piece of wax paper they unwrapped, things were starting to make more sense. They couldn’t believe what they were looking at! What could this be from? Who does it belong to? How could they get it back to this person? They had so many questions but didn’t even know what to do first.
Full of Money
Speechless Over The Money
When he picked up the first bundle of wax paper, he quickly realized he was looking at a big pile of money. He kept unwrapping to see what he would find, and it was a giant stack of 20 dollar bills! What was he supposed to do with this money?
Speechless Over The Money
So Much Cash
The more pieces of wax paper they unwrapped, the more money–including bigger bills–they found. He took a closer look and realized that some of these bills were quite old. He started to really wonder who they belonged to, how they got up here, and how long they had been there.
So Much Cash
And More Money
The husband had absolutely no idea how to react. He and his wife had never found something like this before, especially not something like giant piles of large amounts of money! He had no idea how to react, and he told journalists that he genuinely didn’t know what to do because these sorts of things don’t happen to them.
And More Money
Endless Cash
There were still so many piles of cash that they hadn’t even began to unwrap yet. They wondered if they would find more money in each bundle of wax paper or if they would find something else. Would they find something even more valuable than cash? The husband and wife were so confused by what they were looking at.
Endless Cash
At First, It Was Funny
They expected to find more 20 dollar bills with each bundle of wax paper they unwrapped, but much to their surprise, the bills just kept getting bigger! They started to also unwrap bundles of wax paper that had 50 and 100 dollar bills stacked inside! They couldn’t believe it.
At First, It Was Funny
Old Money
The husband explained to a reporter after everything happened, “The second package didn’t have any twenties. It was all fifties! What is going on here? There could be 5 grand here! Wait! The third package is 100s! This is out of control!” At the time that this was happening, their minds were racing with different ideas of where all of this money came from.
Old Money
Dating The Cash
This couple had no idea how to approach this situation. At first, they thought it was hilarious. After all, they stumbled upon tens of stacks of crisp bills in their house! They very quickly realized it wasn’t so funny, though. They needed to find out where this money came from and who put it there. There was definitely something fishy about this situation.
Dating The Cash
From the 1950s
They wanted to know just how long this suitcase had been sitting in their home, and there was one way to get a ballpark estimate. When they looked very closely at the bills, they realized this money had been sitting here since at least the 1920s or 1930s. Other items that were found here were from the 1950s. What was going on here?
From the 1950s
A Pleasant Surprise
The more they looked at the money and objects, the easier it was for them to understand that this money had been sitting in their home for quite some time now. The next question they needed to have answered was how did it get there and why was it there?
A Pleasant Surprise
They Had A Normal Life
When they kept digging through the suitcase, they found something laying flat on the bottom that they thought could help answer their question. It was a newspaper, and while it was quite obvious that it was old, they were surprised when they saw just how old it really was…
They Had A Normal Life
1951
They were baffled to see that this newspaper dated all the way back to 1951… March 25th, 1951, to be exact! They couldn’t believe what they were looking at. The couple was in full-on shocked mode when they tried to put the pieces of this mystery together.
1951
Had To Contact The Authorities
They were also surprised to see that the newspaper was a local one called the Cleveland Plain Dealer. They wanted to think that this discovery was something incredible and rare, but they were also apprehensive to feel anything just yet. How much was all of this money worth today?
Had To Contact The Authorities
More Things To Uncover
This couple simply couldn’t believe what was going on; nothing like this ever happened to them! To make matters even more interesting, most of these bills were something called “star bills”, which means that they were never even distributed throughout the economy. All of these mystery bills have been around for over 70 years.
More Things To Uncover
Never-Ending Findings
The couple thought they had made an incredible discovery, but they still had questions. They reached out to a lawyer to help them figure out just how much money this was really worth today, and the lawyer told them this cash had the value of about $23,000 today!
Never-Ending Findings
Back To Work
After taking a few days to celebrate this find and let the bizarre story soak in, between speaking with lawyers and recuperating from such an unexpected turn of events, the pair decided together that they needed to go back to their normal daily routine. They thought they made an incredible discovery for themselves, but they had no idea this situation was far from done.
Back To Work
And Here We Go Again
Even after discovering $23,000 hiding in their attic, this crafty couple knew they had to get back to finish their home renovation. They never in a million years expected to find a second suitcase hiding in their basement, though…
And Here We Go Again
Heavier Than The First
Just like the first time, this homeowner was alone in his home when he discovered the second mystery suitcase. After seeing what was in the first suitcase, he couldn’t wait to open the second one. He couldn’t believe that he didn’t see the second suitcase when he discovered the first one! He waited patiently for his wife to get home before opening it with her.
Heavier Than The First
The New Suitcase
Eventually, this husband went onto Reddit to share his store with the world, where he said, “This was a wild ride for us, and I hope you all enjoyed it, too. We are boring people and have been dumping our extra money to pay off our mortgage, and that is where this money will go too.”
The New Suitcase
Same But Different
As he had been doing this entire time, he kept documenting everything on his camera. They kept getting more and more curious about what could be inside, which was a natural feeling given what they found the first time. They couldn’t wait to open this box and find out what it was.
Same But Different
The Search Continues
The couple had no idea what could possibly be hiding inside the walls of their house, but after these discoveries, they knew that anything was possible. The basement was a total wreck, as they had not yet finished the renovation other than starting a demolition, so they knew they had to keep searching to see if they’d find anything else along the way.
The Search Continues
A Bigger Fortune
After they opened the second suitcase, they realized it was something much worse than they’d hoped. This was something so serious that they needed to contact the FBI. Nonetheless, they needed to keep going with their home renovation process, so that’s exactly what the couple did.
A Bigger Fortune
The Wait Is Over
The second his wife walked in through the door, the two tore open the suitcase to see what was inside. Just like last time, it was a giant load of cash. They were left absolutely speechless. They couldn’t help but wonder how much money could be stacked inside of this suitcase and what their final total would be.
The Wait Is Over
What Else Was Hiding Here?
Little did they know when they first opened the suitcase, but these stacks of money were not the only thing hiding in these suitcases. When the couple continued with their home renovation, they found yet another suitcase. What could be inside this time?
What Else Was Hiding Here?
What They Found There
After opening suitcases with stacks of money inside, the couple became hopeful that the next suitcase would be the same thing, but they were very taken back when they realized that was not at all the case. This time, they truly did not know what to do about what they’ve laid their eyes on.
What They Found There
The Final Count
They couldn’t help but wonder how many more suitcases were hiding in their home, and if they would find more and more with the progression of their renovation. The husband knew that they were going to keep finding more valuable and precious items, and he couldn’t wait for his wife to get home to see what they found this time.
A Secret Door
Big Secrets
The next suitcase they found was completely identical on the outside to the first suitcases they found. They couldn’t help but wonder if they were going to find more stacks of money inside, and once again, they ripped open the suitcase right when his wife returned home.
Big Secrets
A Secret Door
Eventually, the excitement from finding all of this money went down a bit and their lives returned to normal… but not for long, of course. Right when they thought everything was going to be okay again, they found a secret door that they had never seen before. When they opened the door, they found something that would make their skin crawl.
What They Found There
Finding Hiding Spots
This suitcase they discovered had the money all lined up in a straight line, not in piles! They both gasped with confusion. They had to figure out what was going on here. How much money was really hidden in this house? What else were they going to find? They needed answers now.
Finding Hiding Spots
He Felt Nervous
This suitcase was filled with nearly $45,000 worth of cold hard cash! They couldn’t believe it. They had never gotten so lucky in their whole lives. They didn’t think about the fact that this luck wouldn’t last, and something needed to be done about these discoveries.
He Felt Nervous
What Else Would They Uncover?
The couple could not possibly have been more intrigued and confused by what was going on. They didn’t realize that their home was filled with treasure and they had been living there with it this entire time! They knew they had to keep going and find out if there was more stuff hiding.
What Else Would They Uncover?
Another Big Mystery
They didn’t realize that their search would lead to them having to call in the FBI. They thought they would be able to keep this money and that they had simply gotten lucky with their discovery, but they were about to be very disappointed to find out that this wasn’t the case at all.
Another Big Mystery
Full Of Secrets
Now that they were aware that their house had some secrets they didn’t know about, the couple was even more motivated to explore. This only increased when they figured out where they had to look next.
Full Of Secrets
Tearing Down The Door
They found a secret door that was for the water heater. The realtor had told them about this, but they felt like something was strange about it. They thought this must be a place where something small but valuable would turn up.
Tearing Down The Door
He Found More Mysteries
And so, they decided to take a look behind it. Their instincts happened to be spot-on. They found the biggest secret in there. When they opened the tiny white door, they realized the realtor had tricked them!
He Found More Mysteries
They Were Fooled
The “water heater” room was nothing but a ploy to trick the new house owner into thinking it was just another normal house. When the door was cracked open, the couple couldn’t believe what they were seeing.
They Were Fooled
Hidden Room
There was a hidden room much bigger than they had thought. It had some carpet pieces and yet another surprise they never could have expected. He told his wife to stay back since he had no idea what he was going to find.
Hidden Room
Door Number Two
He started to wonder, and his mind roamed to all kinds of places. What could possibly be behind this door? Think for a second and just imagine if your house had a whole side you didn’t know even existed!
Door Number Two
Something Sinister
The door was locked with a master lock and secured with a bolt. Still, this man wasn’t giving up – not yet. He was determined to figure out what was behind the mystery door. Quickly, he rushed downstairs, got a hammer, and started to pound.
Something Sinister
They Couldn’t Handle This Alone
Other than that, he was able to clearly see that this room was being used for a while. It was also clear that someone had tried very hard to hide it. The room was in horrible shape – it was all moldy and dark.
They Couldn’t Handle This Alone
Uh Oh
Despite the fact that the homeowners lived there for a couple of years already, this was the very first time they had gone down there. Why on earth would they need to soundproof the room? One bad reason came to their minds.
Uh Oh
More Mysteries Down There
Their minds immediately went to something bad – crime specifically. The walls, the floor, and even the ceiling were covered in white soundproofing tarp. Why didn’t they want people nearby to hear what was going on up there?
More Mysteries Down There
What They Found
What could possibly be stashed in there? While we already know he has a penchant for going with DIY projects, his curiosity made sense. He didn’t have any idea that his house was filled with lies and mysteries the entire time.
What They Found
Full Of Jewels
Of course, the room wasn’t empty. There was a suitcase on the floor. He was slightly hesitant, so he paused for a moment to collect his thoughts. That didn’t last all that long. His curiosity got the better of him and he quickly grabbed the suitcase.
Full Of Jewels
The Strange Safe
Let’s not forget that places that have hiding spots usually mean that something isn’t right… What began as a fun home renovation project took a dark turn when he broke the lock and went in to take a look inside the room.
The Strange Safe
Hidden Inside
The things he found inside the suitcase were shocking. There was an ancient wooden box, envelopes filled with money from all kinds of different countries, watches, rings, a jewelry box, and a 4 1oz silver ingots. Why were they hiding their most prized possessions? Who were they even hiding it all from?
Hidden Inside
What Was Going On Here?
That door ended up leading to yet another door. This room had white plastic tarp everywhere and heavy soundproofing material. Something about it just didn’t feel right to him. It almost felt like it came straight out of a movie… was it some kind of torture chamber?
What Was Going On Here?
A Terrifying Note
As they kept looking around the room, they saw something that cleared up a couple of things about its past. They found out that they had to immediately get in touch with the authorities when they looked through the relics left behind.
A Terrifying Note
He Was Terrified
The couple began uncovering even more strange things inside the room. First, they found an old brown briefcase. Seeing how much luck they had with the first two suitcases, they though that luck was still on their side.
He Was Terrified
One More Warning
However, soon they would learn just how far off they were. There was absolutely nothing good inside this briefcase. This is something they soon learned. Just as they did when they worked on the basement, they took some pictures and documented all they found.
One More Warning
An Unsettling Detail
This was definitely one experience they didn’t want to forget. They were curious about what was hiding there, so at last, they opened the case to take a look. It was filled with someone’s valuable. They found some expensive antique jewelry. A ring, some watches, and 4 silver ingots.
An Unsettling Detail
They Needed The Police
There was something else inside as well… They saw envelopes filled with money from different countries. As they kept looking, they found a black Sentry safe tucked away in the very corner of the room. That was when they started getting even more skeptical.
They Needed The Police
Some Disturbing Footage
What could be hidden in a secret safe inside a room within an already secret room? There was something very off about all the secrecy and mystery surrounding the area. He began feeling intimidated. He knew there was no way that this safe contained money, jewelry, and more “common” items.
Some Disturbing Footage
An Investigation Of Epic Proportions
He knew full well that it wasn’t something he’ll be glad to find. Everything inside seemed to be valuable, but why were they in this room that was so tightly secured? They clearly felt that the room was hiding even more secrets.
An Investigation Of Epic Proportions
The FBI Is Here To Help
As it turns out, they were right about that. He decided to put these thoughts to the back of his mind and open the safe in any case. When he cracked it open, he found a note that was enough to confirm his worst suspicions. All that was written on it was “save yourself”.
The FBI Is Here To Help
How Can You Be Sure?
The wording was ominous on its own, but the fact that the penmanship was rough and the words were scrawled out in black ink made it all the more sinister. Who wrote this? Why did they do so? What did they mean by it?
How Can You Be Sure?
They Got Lucky
He knew that the only way he’d be able to find the truth was to keep going with the investigation. Not long after he realized this, they found more mystery items that were way out of their comfort zones. It was high time to call the authorities.
They Got Lucky
Do Not
The man was so curious that he kept digging into the other things that were inside the mysterious safe. However, what he found next made him feel very unsafe. Inside, he found a bunch of tapes that were placed with a handwritten message that said: “Do not”. Yikes.
How Can You Be Sure?
VHS Tapes
He noticed that those records were, in fact, videotapes. If he wanted to find the truth, he would need to watch them. What would he find? The man then took out all the tapes he saw in the safe and took a closer look at them.
VHS Tapes
Newer
He noticed that the tapes were much newer than all the other things they had found, which surprised him. He was scared when he realized this, even though it told him nothing else. On top of the taped, they found a whole series of numbers that looked like labels.
Newer
Police
One tape, however, didn’t come with that label. Five out of the six tapes had tags. Did someone make all these with the sole purpose of messing with people? This was beginning to go too far. They finally came to the conclusion that it was time to get the police.
Police
The Curiosity
He couldn’t contain his curiosity anymore. This was how he soon found out what the tapes contained. After looking at them for several seconds, he called the authorities on his phone and asked them to come to the house as soon as possible.
The Curiosity
Confiscated
Once this happened, the FBI confiscated these tapes. No one outside these parties knew what the mysterious tapes contained. Just the homeowner, maker, and agents were able to know what was recorded on the tapes. His curiosity led him to discover something that he ended up wishing he didn’t see.
Confiscated
A Mystery
There was a solid chance he would never find out what was on those tapes. The media came up with a theory that the tapes contained footage of horrible crimes that happened in the soundproof room. It’s still a mystery no one knows the answer to.
A Mystery
Questions
Naturally, the investigation raised a whole lot of questions about everything that was found on the property, from the bundles of money to all the hidden tapes. What people used to live in this house?
Questions
Other Secrets
Are there more secrets waiting to be discovered? What would you do if you found the same thing in the house you’ve lived in all this time? Most importantly, are you sure you can say that you don’t have anything like this hiding inside your house right now?
Other Secrets
Lucky
This couple was lucky that they were safe and didn’t get hurt from this mysterious discovery. They did the right thing by calling the authorities since this was something they couldn’t have handled alone. Now, they’ll have their unique story to tell.
Lucky
Secret Bunker
Finding interesting objects and items in older homes isn’t something new, by any means. In fact, it turns out that many people who’ve moved into new houses have made odd and sometimes even scary discoveries of their own. One example is when this man bought a house, he found something. The original homeowner had passed away, and the real-estate agents sold the house as-is for very cheap.
Secret Bunker
Ready To Explore
The new homeowner was excited about his house and excitedly explored it. He went down to the basement to see it. When he got to the bottom of the stairs, he noticed a strange sheet of plywood that was attached to the wall. It turns out that there was a secret room packed with guns and ammo. On top of all that, there was also a hollowed-out grenade. The man also found a huge safe and chest of money filled with nothing other than pennies.
Ready To Explore
Preserved Past
One British couple was going through the basement of their old family house when they came across this. They discovered a perfectly intact Victorian kitchen all the way back from the 1830s. It was completely stocked with pots, pans, a cooking range, and enough tables and benches to sit 20 people. There was also a cookbook there with Victorian recipes.
Preserved Past
Live Wire
Another example of a couple that moved into a new house with no idea of what they would find is Linda and Wally DeForest. As Linda was unpacking things in the basement, she made an intriguing discovery. She called her husband and said that she found a torpedo in their basement. As one would expect, Wally was pretty skeptical about that, but he still looked into it. It turns out that his wife was right.
Live Wire
The Green Torpedo
There was a big, green torpedo right there in their basement. The couple spoke to an army veteran who explained that it was around for either a mortar or a lightweight anti-tank weapon from the Korean and Vietnam War. Eventually, the couple got in touch with the authorities and they came to take it away. When the DeForests asked how a torpedo could possibly end up in someone’s basement, the answer they got was that sometimes, people kept torpedoes as souvenirs.
The Green Torpedo
Discovery
While it’s probably fascinating to find some old artifacts in the basement of the house you just bought, at times, people find completely different things. Diane and Pat Farla lived in an old Victorian house in England. They always wondered about the strange grate in their basement. And so, one night, they decided to look into it after they had some wine.
Discovery
Persecuted Catholics
The moved the iron grille and discovered a hole big enough for their nephew and his friend to crawl through. Good idea, right? On the other side, the kids found a cellar that looked somewhat like a chapel. The couple got in touch with historians and asked them about it. As it turns out, the room dated back to the 1700s. It’s thought that it was used as a secret Catholic Church in the time when Catholics were persecuted and executed.
Persecuted Catholics
Hidden Room
Back in 1963, one homeowner was working on renovations for his house when he knocked down a wall and came across a hidden room. While this is exciting, just imagine how excited he was when he found another one. And then another one! The man practically found an entire underground city. Derinkuyu is one of the most impressive and weird archeological discoveries of the 20th century. The old city was created with a huge network of underground tunnels that homed the Hittites.
Hidden Room
RIGHT BEHIND YOU
While discovering old pictures hidden away in houses is a creepy thing in itself, finding one that asks the finder if they see “him” is a whole other level of horrifying. Not to mention, it’s a totally valid reason to sell the place and move very far away.
RIGHT BEHIND YOU
Michelangelo Painting
Here is a pretty incredible find. One family discovered a famous Norman Rockwell painting hidden behind a fake wall in their late father’s house in Vermont. The father had kept a fake one on display in the house so that his wife wouldn’t get the real one in their divorce. He never mentioned a thing, even on his deathbed. The painting ended up selling in an auction for $15.4 million. Another similar story happened in New York. A man remembered that he had a $300 million Michaelangelo painting behind his couch. He forgot that it’s been sitting there for 27 years.
Michelangelo Painting
31 Love Letters
In Nova Scotia, there was a brother and a sister who were working on a renovation project when they found 31 love letters. They were written by a World War I soldier and were hidden in their walls. They searched the names in the letters and managed to track down the grandkids of the couple to return all the letters.
31 Love Letters
Ammunition
One man moved into a new house and made his own strange discovery. He noticed a sheet of wood on a wall that looked out of place. And so, he took it down and found a secret room. Inside it, he came across an entire box of ammunition among other weapons.
Ammunition
Hidden Safe
It’s not new that someone might find a safe in the basement of their newly-purchased house. Even a safe that’s buried in the backyard isn’t an unusual find. However, a safe hidden in the wall of the kitchen? That’s less common.
Hidden Safe
Strange Treasure
This person discovered exactly that. Inside the safe, they found $50,000 in cash, a bottle of bourbon, and a copy of E.F. Schumacher’s “A Guide for the Perplexed”. Weird combination, don’t you think?
Strange Treasure
Jackpot
While he was shoveling through some rubble when he was working on a bathroom renovation, this plumber struck gold – literally. He got a glimpse of something shiny and grabbed it. He saw instantly that it was a gold brick. It turned out to be worth $50,000. Seeing as he was an honest man, the plumber returned it to the homeowners.
Jackpot