10 Years Later, Woman Discovers Her Ex-Boyfriend Living In Her Attic
People find all sorts of strange things in their attics. Some find memorabilia that was long forgotten, or old clothing stacked up to the rafters, while others may find a family of raccoons that have taken up residence during the cold winter.
But what about weird sounds that come from the attic? Most would think that the sound is caused by critters. Most certainly it wouldn't be coming from a squatter... But one South Carolina woman begs to differ, after finding her criminal ex-boyfriend of 12-years living in her attic. You won't believe her story.
A Sound That Goes Bump In The Night
Tracy thought she was hallucinating, or that she was in some strange waking nightmare that she couldn't escape. It was the only plausible explanation for the horror movie that had become her life. Unfortunately, this was definitely real and there was no way to wake up from what was happening.
Her ex-boyfriend had been living in her house, up in the attic, and she had no idea. He had criminal tendencies, so she had broken the relationship off about 12-years prior, and it was rumored that he had moved out of state since then. Once the truth was revealed, Tracy started to freak out.
A Single Mom Of Five
Adulthood wasn't easy for Tracy. She was a single mom of five kids and was living in a poor part of Rock Hill, South Carolina. Sadly, she had struggled to provide for her family for several years. But in spite of that, they were happy with their life.
Some of the kids were fully grown, but they all lived under the same roof in order to help each other with financials. That's when something strange happened that proved to be a potential threat to everyone living in the house. A threat that was most definitely coming from the attic.
The Day The Sound Started
It seemed like a normal September day when Tracy started hearing weird sounds coming from the attic. Like most people, when they hear strange noises, she thought it was an intruder. The only thing is, she made sure to always lock the windows and door. Her house was in a bad part of town and burglaries were common.
Thankfully, she saw no evidence of a break-in. She thought her mind was playing tricks on her, but she soon realized she wasn't going crazy, and her imagination wasn't running wild with the sound.
The Noise Wasn't Stopping
For several days, Tracy continued to hear weird noises coming from the attic. But when she asked her kids if they'd been playing around in the attic for some reason, they said no. She believed them. Why would they lie about playing somewhere in the house? Plus, the attic was way too dark for kids to have any fun.
But Tracy never went up to the attic either, not unless she was looking to store something for a long period of time. When the noises didn't stop, she came up with her own theory of what the sound could be.
A Wild Animal Was The Only Explanation
One day, while Tracy was cleaning her house, she noticed that the upstairs sound kept moving from room to room. Something she would have missed had she not been moving around so much herself. Her theory was that a wild animal had found its way inside. Maybe an opossum or raccoon was nesting in the attic?
If that was the case, she had to call Animal Control right away. Too bad it was a Saturday, and their office was closed for the weekend. She was going to have to reach out to them on Monday. But the noise continued.
Then Nails From The Ceiling Boards Began To Fall
It was around 2:30 in the morning when Tracy woke up to a strange creaking sound. It was coming from the ceiling in her bedroom and was followed by loud "pings" on the floor. She looked down to see what the source of the "pings" was, and despite the darkroom, she noticed the outlines of nails on the floor.
Tracy came to the realization that the nails came from the ceiling boards. How were they just falling out of the ceiling? She was frozen with fear because whatever was up there was much too heavy to be an animal.
It Must Be A Ghost
Due to the lack of explanation, Tracy though "there was some poltergeist stuff going on." But it was the middle of the night, and she wasn't going to go up to the dark attic when it wasn't light outside. So, she hid under her covers and tried to go back to sleep.
Before she fell into slumber she tried to figure out what could possibly be haunting her attic. She didn't want to go on living in fear, so she decided that the next day she was going to get to the bottom of the sound. What she found was beyond anything she expected.
She Sent Her Sons And Nephews Up To The Attic
When she woke the next morning, Tracy was determined to go up to the attic. Thankfully, one of her nephews had stopped by to visit her two grown sons. She felt significantly better knowing that she had three grown men in the house, it put her mind at ease.
She told them about the strange noise she's been hearing and how she was convinced that they were coming from the attic. The three men agreed to take a look, going up to the attic stairs while Tracy waited in the hallway. No one was prepared for what they found next.
They Found The Attic In A Bad State
The three men knew something wasn't right the instant they walked into the attic. There was a foul stench that shouldn't be there, and there was garbage thrown all over the floor. It was obvious that they weren't dealing with a wild animal.
They also noticed that Tracy's old jackets were all packed up into a single corner by the heating unit. Tracy had brought the coats up to the attic to store, but she didn't leave them like that. That's when their exploration led them to a body huddled against the same corner. Whoever it was seemed to be sleeping.
Then They Found A Body In The Corner
The body in the corner moved as soon as the three men started walking around the attic. Apparently, the stranger had been asleep before they made their way up to the room. Now, the intruder was staring straight at them and they were looking back at him. For a few seconds, that's all anyone did. Everyone was frozen!
When the initial shock wore off, the strange man stood up and sprinted past them. Tracy caught a glimpse of the man as he pushed passed her to make his escape. That's when she realized that he looked familiar and that she knew who had been in the attic.
The Family Called The Cops
The family called the cops. Unfortunately, by the time they arrived, the man was long gone. However, Tracy knew him personally and was able to give them a name and a detailed description. 12-years earlier, Tracy had hired him to do some housework for her, she even dated him for a year before she knew about his criminal ventures.
After learning about his unlawful ways, Tracy broke up with him. But the man didn't handle the break-up well and tried to win her back several different times. When she continued to shut him down he ended up taking matters into his own hands.
One too Many Run-Ins With The Law
Drugs, followed by his decision to rob a flower shop, tore their one-year romance apart, Tracy said. She had five kids, some being fairly young, so she couldn't have such a bad influence hanging around.
Too bad that wasn't "it" for her ex-boyfriend. He went on to do more unlawful acts, getting himself in trouble with authorities and inevitably landing himself in jail. By that time, Tracy thought it was all over.
He Was Rumored To Have Left Town
Next, the man stole Tracy's truck. It seems like he thought that was a fair price after she continued to reject his dating offer. He didn't think it through, because Tracy reported him and the missing truck. The cops caught him and he went to prison. Even while behind bars he managed to harass Tracy.
After his release, she learned that he had moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, about 39 minutes away from her home in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Tracy assumed the worst, thinking that the move was just a rumor her crazy ex had formulated. She didn't know the half of it.
He Lied And Took Up Residence In Tracy's Attic
Tracy's ex-boyfriend had lied about moving to the bordering state. He stayed in town after his release from prison. And not just anywhere in town, he decided to take up residence in Tracy's attic.
Regardless of all of the letters he had sent Tracy from prison saying that he had changed and that they should get back together, Tracy never once thought that was a good idea. She thought she had dodged a bullet. Unfortunately, he had managed to dodge the cops.
The Cops Searched The Attic Only To Find His "Nest"
After the manhunt saw no success, the cops searched the attic where Tracy's ex had been staying. They estimated that he had been living there for several weeks. "He had packed all the old coats and jackets into the heating unit and was sleeping in the heating unit," said Tracy.
They had even found plastic cups which he used to relieve himself, which was the source of the foul stench the sons and nephews smelled initially. Unbelievably, there were more frightening discoveries to be had in the attic. We'd be surprised if Tracy is able to sleep soundly after everything is said and done with this man.
He Re-Designed The Air Vents To Spy On Tracy
The cops discovered that the man had played around with the air vents in order to spy on Tracy while she was in her bedroom. Tracy was horrified, and rightfully so. A crazy man was spying on her while she was sleeping! Talk about an invasion of privacy.
"It's got me flabbergasted," she said in an interview. "How can you look at someone through an air vent?” These are going to be the questions that haunt this poor lady at night. But one question still remained -- how was he able to get into the house and then up to the attic?
No One Knows How He Was Able To Get Into The Attic
Unfortunately, the cops have no idea how he was able to get up to the attic. The only available route was through the hallway where the kids' bedrooms were and through the attic door. Someone would have seen him lurking around the house. Right?
But this is a young family, and Tracy is a nurse who is out of the house at least 12-hours a day. And her kids are either at school, sports practice or they have jobs of their own. It's very plausible that no one was home while he snuck in, meaning he easily made his way to the attic.
Tracy Just Wants Him To Be Caught And Charged
Thanks to Tracy, the authorities know the man's identity. Even though he has been able to evade the police, it is only a matter of time until he is found and brought to justice. The days after he ran off, Tracy could have sworn she'd seen him lurking around her house, but the cops didn't find any evidence of him being there.
For now, Tracy just wants him to be caught, "I want him to be charged with it," she explained. “It could be somebody else he does the same thing to, but she might not be so lucky.”
Her Kids Won't Sleep In Their Rooms
An experience like this leaves a lasting mark on a family, especially one with young kids. Since he has not yet been caught, it's unnerving to Tracy to think that her ex is still out there roaming unsuspecting neighborhoods. He used to hang around drug houses, after all.
Her kids won't even sleep in their bedrooms anymore. Instead, they all opt to have a massive sleepover in the living room. They're all scared of how he was able to climb up into the attic. And if it was through the door in the hallway, the kids want to be as far from it as possible.
He'll End Up Back In Prison
They were afraid that if he was able to sneak into the house without them knowing, he was going to be able to do it again. Then again, with the risk of returning to prison being extremely high, there is a chance that the man is trying to get as far away from Tracy and her family as humanly possible.
We can only hope that Tracy and her kids find some sense of peace knowing that nothing else is going to go bump in the night. Besides, bad guys are never to stay out of the hands of the authorities for long!
