Renovating a house could take months to complete, depending on how well-paced the workers are. Well, there’s one family in Ohio who couldn’t wait to finish fixing up their beloved house, which was built back in the forties. So far, they’ve already gone through the first two floors of the structure and were finally down to the last portion – the basement.
As they tore down every last piece of plywood, they chanced upon something that sparked their curiosity in an instant. What’s amusing about it is how they never even realized in their wildest dreams that this ‘find’ would require them to call the FBI for assistance!
Bringing Down the House
As expected, it required all their strength and effort to knock down every inch of that wall – it almost felt as if the basement was putting up a fight. The husband and wife tandem dug deeper until they saw a peculiar graffiti scrawled on some areas of the room.
It took them a minute to think about what the writing meant, and even then, they still weren’t sure what it actually pertained to. Sure enough, it was only the first of many surprises they’d uncover while combing through the dilapidated house.
A Shocking Find
Since the house was built more than half a century ago, one wouldn’t think it would last this long, given its state. The couple probably already had this in mind, so they half-expected to see interesting items here and there, much like a treasure hunt!
But as the husband peeled the last of the basement’s wallpaper, he was astonished to see mysterious scribbles and drawings hidden behind it. Interestingly, that discovery would lead the couple to a sequence of happenings that would bring them to the best surprise of their lives.
Secrets in the Ceiling
It’s not uncommon for people to hide things in their residence, particularly in seemingly secret places where no one would ever think of looking. When the man of the house inspected the ceiling and middle floor of the building, he realized something was wedged in between them.
He decided to check it further but approached it with a bit of caution – he didn’t know what it was after all. The only thing the husband could do was brace himself and pull the object with all his might. If the guy’s lucky, then he might just find out what it is!
Stranger Things
It’s amazing how one’s surroundings become blurry when you become too engrossed with what you are doing. Everyone around seems to disappear without a trace, and the only thing that matters is your goal – this is precisely what the husband did as he went through everything in the basement.
With the odd container in mind, he made sure to clean and fix every nook and cranny in the basement. As fate would have it, he suddenly determined it would be awesome if they could document this scavenger hunt using his mobile phone. Luckily, that footage would serve as evidence to the articles they’d unearthed!
What’s Inside the Suitcase?
Finally, after endless hours of hard work, the last chunk of drywall was torn down, and the ceiling was finally bare. The workers continued to toil until the area was demolished – everyone agreed that the entire process wasn’t a walk in the park for sure.
Once the dust settled, the husband saw a huge suitcase that just sat there, waiting to be found. A million things ran through the man’s mind as to what could be inside – can it be a treasure of some sort, old clothes, or what if it was just filled with unwanted junk?
Itching to Open It
As they approached the bag, it was already clear from afar that it was an unusual color of greyish green,
which they immediately assumed was due to how old it was. Regardless of how it looked, what piqued
their interest was how well it was hidden within the ceiling!
From the looks of it, the person who hid it didn’t want anyone to know whatever secret came inside the
bag. When the husband attempted to lift it, he was struck at how heavy it turned out to be, and it only
made him more curious about its contents.
Tingling with Anticipation
With the suitcase in his hands, the man felt like a little kid on Christmas morning, as if he couldn’t contain his excitement in opening the presents. But of course, the husband knew he had to proceed with caution since no one had an inkling whether the items were trash or actually something they would be happy about.
It’s quite common for folks to find random things that were worth a ton of cash, so he hoped this was one of those lucky moments; however, he didn’t want to find out alone.
He Needed a Bit of Support
The couple was a close-knit pair, so the husband was adamant about having his wife by his side when they open the mysterious suitcase. As much as he wouldn’t like to admit it, she would definitely know what to do just in case something went wrong!
It didn’t take long before she arrived at the same landing just a few minutes after his call. Admittedly, the doting wife was quite ecstatic to be a part of this big reveal – they were more than ready to unveil the contents of the bag.
So Many Possibilities
At the back of his mind, the husband was genuinely wondering why anyone would go to such great lengths just to conceal a suitcase. As time went by, he considered all the possibilities – was that person a criminal or perhaps did something unspeakable and hid all evidence in the bag?
As his thoughts lingered on other probabilities, he began to look at the dirty suitcase more closely and tried to look for any clues. The weight of it alone already brought intrigue – it was almost as heavy as a little kid!
Small on the Outside, But Big on the Inside
It wasn’t the typical large suitcase that jetsetters would lug around all over an airport. Instead, it was more of a carry-on bag – not too big, not too small. It was a perfect size, so one couldn’t help but wonder why it was a hefty little thing.
Since it was kept under lock and key for what seemed like decades, the husband was just dying to find out the real score behind this bizarre puzzle – and not only him, but everyone who found it with him. After thinking about it, he was almost a hundred percent positive that it carried something monumental.
It Could Be Nothing
It’s easy to think about all the wonderful things the suitcase could possibly have, but there’s a fifty percent chance it was just crap – like crumpled paper, sawdust, or maybe even rocks? Whatever it was, the husband’s thoughts raced, and all these speculations were getting way over his head.
When his wife arrived, he hurriedly explained the situation just to shed light on things and hear her ideas in the process. She most likely would agree with one of his assumptions – he even believed his partner had better theories of her own!
They Kept Their Expectations Low
They finally took the plunge and opened the suitcase after careful consideration – no one was around to claim it anyway, it was as good as theirs! Funnily enough, amidst all the discussions about the possible contents, they kept their expectations low and avoided getting their hopes up.
What could be the worst thing they’d find? In all honesty, they were willing to accept whatever was in it, even if it was a pile of collectible baseball cards. However, the tandem kept their fingers crossed and hoped for something much more substantial – like an antique or a piece of jewelry.
Opening the Bag of Wonders
As they sifted through the things, nothing really stood out right off the bat. They were a bit disheartened with what they found, but that’s just how it is! Meanwhile, the duo observed there were a bunch of wax papers that wrapped something thick and rectangular.
Unfortunately, the curious pair couldn’t figure out what they were, which was a bit weird since the stuff looked like waxy blocks. What’s more, it appears the blocks tied something together underneath, but since it’s been weathered for years, it ended up as hardened mush with an odd texture.
Money Talks
Now that everything’s within reach, they figured they might as well go all in and check whether there’s anything they could salvage. With utmost care, the couple carefully stripped the wax papers off one by one – the suspense of not knowing what was underneath might have been too much to bear!
When it was ultimately out in the open, the lovebirds couldn’t believe their luck. This was it – the moment they’ve waited for had finally happened. Of all the people who could have found this bag, the husband and wife thanked all their lucky stars that they were the ones who got it.
A Bit Richer than Before
The first stack of money contained a handful of twenty-dollar bills and was most likely several hundred dollars in total just for that one. If they calculate everything, it would be somewhere around the thousands!
Anyone with an insane amount of cash would certainly be gleeful, but how much more if it just landed in one’s possession unexpectedly? The pair felt like they were the luckiest people in all of Ohio – but before they could share the important news to the entire town, they realized the bills were really old, maybe even obsolete.
Still Not Over It
A lot has happened since they started renovating their longtime home. So, discovering something as major as this was a breath of fresh air – the husband was more than glad to see that the waxy bundles were cash! Who wouldn’t be? Plus, it was a story they could tell over and over again in the years to come.
The husband and wife continued guessing as they were removing the rest of the wax papers from the pile in the bag. With all that’s accounted for, it won’t be long till they will get the total amount from this once-in-a-lifetime acquisition.
Small-Town Celebrities
Eventually, information about their newfound riches circulated, and now various media outlets wanted to feature them in the news. It was an exhilarating moment, not just for the couple but also for the rest of their family.
In one of their many interviews, the exuberant man explained how the suitcase was accidentally found while they were renovating their house. It seemed Lady Luck was on their side as they've never been the type to get lucky with anything all their lives – what's fantastic about it was that it felt like a lottery win!
Seeing What Else was There
Many neighbors gathered and waited to see whether the rest of the wads were comprised the same thing – were there more twenty-dollar bills, or perhaps the others contained a different denomination? Deep down, they silently hoped there would be a couple of hundred or thousand-dollar bills in there somewhere!
Without further ado, they went ahead and tackled the remaining group of cash, and they found out the rest weren’t twenty-dollar bills as anticipated, but it was even better. The wax paper bundles had a mix of fifty-dollar and hundred-dollar greenbacks; according to their calculations, the total was probably around five thousand dollars or even more.
More Money Than They Had Ever Seen
The buzz began to build up, and with the additional money, it’s safe to say they already felt like millionaires. However, they wanted to investigate further since the bag’s contents looked really old – knowing about where it came from will put their heads at ease. After they got everything out, they found an old newspaper underneath all the moolah – this was the answer they were looking for!
From the front page, they determined it was an old print from the 1950s called 'Cleveland Plain Dealer.' Everything was falling into place, and now the duo wondered what the actual worth of the hidden money was.
The Haul of a Lifetime
Aside from the newspaper, the Ohio duo discovered there were a couple of unique currencies called ‘star bills’ inside the suitcase. What made them so special was the fact that these were first printed over seventy years ago – they were as valuable as precious jewels.
They immediately had the entire haul appraised, and it was a staggering $23,000! Celebrations were in order as they thought that was the end of the mystery and could finally enjoy their riches. However, the tandem uncovered another secret when they went back to renovating their house.
In Comes Another Suitcase
All was well, and everyone was happy to get back to work; but just as they were about to begin, another bag came into light. It was found in the same manner as the first, albeit it was a tad heavier. Their heads started to spin, and both couldn’t comprehend why this was happening to them!
Like the first instance, the husband waited for his spouse before he opened the second suitcase and hoped it had more cash so they could pay off their mortgage – and it did. The overall total would make anyone’s jaw drop!
A Much Bigger Mystery to Solve
But as fate would have it, there were a lot more secrets in the basement than the money. As they continued to fix up the area, the pair saw another suitcase; but unlike the first few, it was empty! They were a bit disappointed, but they pressed on and were startled as an unfamiliar door appeared out of nowhere.
Curious, the couple went inside and observed another cash-filled suitcase that was lined up by the wall. They started to get alarmed as this wasn’t a normal situation, especially now that they were $45,000 richer after the second appraisal!
The Next Step
Everything happens for a reason, and the husband-wife duo knew they were meant to solve the puzzle of the doorway. More than ever, they felt motivated to explore the house, more so since their realtor once told them about a hidden door which stored the heating system.
Little did they know that they would have to reach out to the authorities as the door didn’t house the heater; in fact, it was a ruse from the seller just to convince them it was a typical home. They grew more dubious as the secret room’s entire floor was carpeted - something was up; they just needed to know what it was.
Maybe It was Time to Ask for Help
The money from their initial discoveries was far from their minds now as they were shocked - they bought a house without knowing about the secret room! With that in mind, it’s even more fascinating how the door was locked by heavy-duty bolts. Whoever made it didn’t want anyone to go inside for sure.
A sinking feeling crept in their chest as it was possible the secret room was something along the lines of a crime or a torture chamber. Regardless, the house owners needed to get to the bottom of it.
More Suitcases, More Treasures
Naturally, they weren’t the least bit surprised when another suitcase was found there in the room. The husband wasn’t sure at first whether they should get it or otherwise, but it was too tempting to leave it lying around. And good thing he did as the things inside, aside from money, were jewelry and watches – most likely personal items from the previous house's owner.
Little by little, they made their way across the room, and then it opened to another place; it felt like a scene straight out of a horror flick when they realized everything was soundproofed!
The Police are Called In
The final nail in the coffin was when they found a safe box in one of the corners with an ominous note which said, ‘Save Yourself.’ Paranoia started to sink in, and the husband thought maybe it wasn’t a good idea to explore the secret room. However, he stumbled upon a bunch of VHS tapes labeled with a cryptic note, and to satisfy his curiosity, he decided to watch them.
It only took a few seconds before he resolved to call the FBI – the video was too horrendous to watch, and the husband had to report it! Thankfully, it didn’t take long before the police arrived and seized the tapes.
Not the First Time
There have been other similar stories around the globe where new homeowners would discover either something weird or dangerous in their abodes. One man, for instance, found an extensive collection of antique weapons and ammo concealed in his wall. Like the Ohio couple, it was hidden in a secret room!
Another incident happened to a couple named Wally and Linda DeForest. Both were excited to move into their home, but they changed their minds when a torpedo from World War II was apparently hidden in their basement – it was a disaster waiting to happen!
But Sometimes, It Can Be Good
Real estate and horror stories are often paired together, but there are also instances wherein people find beautiful or interesting things in a house; it all boils down to what type of person the previous occupant was – personality would always come into play.
To illustrate, one British couple came across a gorgeous Victorian kitchen in their home, complete with pots and pans – it was preserved in such a way that it looked almost brand-new! Meanwhile, another man in the sixties discovered the underground city of Derinkuyu right on his property – it was undeniably a pivotal moment in history.
Part of the Fun – Sort Of
In the end, one could ultimately say that exploring and learning about a new dwelling is part of the fun; however, we should proceed with caution, especially when things start to seem fishy. In the case of the Ohio couple, it began as a dream come true but ended with the police involved since their place turnout out to be a possible crime scene.
And while the mystery behind the VHS tapes or the identity of who placed the money inside the stealthy rooms might never be divulged, the husband and wife were still lucky they got to do something about it and start anew.