Call The FBI
When a couple from Ohio bought a house that needed some renovations, they were more than up for the task. They loved DIY projects and were ready to take this one on. They started out with the first two floors and then focused on the basement.
However, the basement proved to be a lot more strange than the initial renovations, so much so, that the FBI had to get involved.
1940’s Home
Their house was originally built in the 1940s, an older style home that had a unique character of its own.
Almost immediately after starting the most labor-intensive portion of the project, they started to notice some strange signs. Little did they know, things were about to get a whole lot more strange.
Graffiti
The basement walls were covered in graffiti, which although annoying, wasn’t that hard to take off. Luckily, they took pictures of the entire process to see their progress.
When the husband began tearing down the dilapidated ceiling, he immediately started calling for his wife.
Crashing Down
As the ceiling parts began crashing down, the man noticed there was something hidden within the wood. A suitcase had been hidden in between the rafters, suggesting someone wanted to keep whatever was inside safe.
They immediately pulled the green and grey striped suitcase down and opened it up.
Hidden Surprise
As he pulled it down, he realized how heavy it was. The weight was surprising because of the size of the actual suitcase, which was rather small.
He began taking photos of the entire process, hoping to share his interesting discovery on social media.
Taking a Guess
Before they opened the case, they decided to take a guess at what was inside. Realizing how dated the case was, their imaginations went wild.
However, they never expected to see what they did when they finally lifted the top.
All Wrapped Up
When they first opened the suitcase, their eyes rested upon packages wrapped in tissue paper.
At first, they couldn’t tell what was inside. But after taking a closer look, they realized they had just hit the jackpot.
CASH!
As they unwrapped each of the packages, they saw loads and loads of cash. The first package had lots of $20s, and old $20s at that.
The man thought there must have been thousands of dollars wrapped up in there and was in utter shock. He couldn’t believe how lucky they were, and it only got better from there.
More Cash?!
There were two more bundles of cash in the suitcase, worth even more. The other packages were full of $50 and $100 bills! They truly couldn’t believe their luck.
The bills were dated from 1928-1934 and they started to realize that the oldest bills were probably worth more than their face value.
Whose Cash Is It?
So many questions surrounded the origin of the suitcase. How old was it? Where did it come from? Who left it and why?
Although they couldn’t answer all of them right away, they did find a clue that would help solve the mystery.
1951
At the bottom of the suitcase, they found a newspaper clipping that was dated back to March 25th, 1951. The clipping was from the local paper The Cleveland Plain-Dealer.
Based on this clue, the money must have been at least 65 years old. As they investigated further, they realized just how valuable their discovery was.
Star Bills
They found a few star bills, bills that are so unique they are worth a tremendous amount. The star bills were over 70 years old, and once appraised were valued at $23,000. The homeowner shared his story on Reddit, saying “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 surprises weren’t over yet, however.
Finishing The Job
Little did this couple know, the surprises had just begun. They continued on to finish their home improvements.
They were about to stumble upon more surprises and something that would take the expertise of the FBI.
Another Suitcase
As they continued to take down the dilapidated ceiling, they discovered another suitcase!
Excitement filled their bodies as they imagined what could be inside the second one. If it was more cash, they would officially be the luckiest people in Cleveland.
Side By Side
Taking pictures of the suitcases side by side, the man could only assume that the contents would be the same. This suitcase was jam-packed and heavier than the first one, but instead of wrapped cash, it was something else.
Tons and tons of bank notes filled the suitcase leaving the homeowners wondering how much they had just stumbled upon.
Serious Pay Day
Hidden within the second suitcase was nearly $45,000! They truly couldn’t believe what was unveiling right before their eyes.
They decided they were going to put the second pot of cash towards their home just like the first. Just when they thought they couldn’t possibly be any luckier, they found a hidden door.
Hidden Door
At this point, they realized that their house was full of hidden secrets. So when they found this hidden door, they were eager to peek inside.
Behind the door wasn’t the ordinary water heater, but an entire secret room. The room clearly hadn’t been used in years, and they were starting to wonder why someone would create it.
Locked Door
Within the secret room was a heavily locked door, adding to the suspicion. Deciding to take a hammer to the lock, the man was determined to find what was inside.
Instead of finding more money or treasure, he found another room, but this one was sinister. The room was made completely soundproofed, hidden deep within the walls of the home. He quickly realized that nothing good happened here, and he began to feel sick.
Worldly Possessions?
Within the secret room was another suitcase, this one was brown and full of people’s possessions. Watches, rings, and silver blocks. Among these possessions was foreign currency from multiple different countries.
Whoever had left these here clearly didn’t want them to be found and went to great lengths to conceal them. Before they could even begin to unravel the mysteries behind these possessions, they found a safe. An eerie feeling came over them and they were nervous about what was hidden inside.
Save Yourself
The first thing they saw safe was a creepy note that said, “Save yourself.” If that wasn’t disturbing enough, there were many tapes below the note.
On the inside of the safe was a written warning, saying “Do not.” They were getting the feeling they had stumbled upon something only a serial killer would keep around, and they decided it was time to call the FBI.
FBI
Due to the horrific contents of the tapes, which were not specified to the general public, the FBI launched a full-fledged investigation into the origin of the tapes and contents hidden within the home.
This story is something that seems more like fiction than fact, but for this Clevland couple, it was all too real.