Life

This Man Found Unbelievable Treasure in a Power Box His Backyard

This Man Found Unbelievable Treasure in a Power Box His Backyard December 12, 2019Leave a comment

Buried treasures and pirates are the kind of thing you hear about in legends and movies. But when Matthew and Maria Colonna-Emanuel went digging in their backyard, they discovered that fiction can become a very shocking reality.

Meet the Emanuels

Twitter: Matthew Emanuel

The Emanuel family lived in Todt Hill, Staten Island. For the longest time, they thought that an unsightly piece of metal that lay in their backyard was just an electrical box. Matthew Emanuel had lived in this home for about four years along with his wife Maria and their son. But although they knew every inch of their property by heart, there was one mystery that awaited to be discovered.

There Was Something in the Backyard

CBS2

The Emanuels assumed that the silver box underneath some trees outside of their home was nothing more than an old cable box. But there was more to this box than met the eye, and it was about to change their lives.

The Box Was Lying in Wait

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The family always assumed that the big piece of metal lying in wait in the corner of the backyard was nothing more than an electric box where electric pole wires were kept. Initially, the box was embedded so deep in the soil that no one paid it much attention, until Mother Nature intervened.

A Deer Led the Way

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The rusty metal box was buried behind bushes and poison ivy alongside a fence around the house. Then, a deer came and ate four feet of the bottom of the foliage. The ruined trees looked so hideous that Emanuel decided to put bamboo (which has deer-resistant properties) in its place. But he had no way of knowing what he was about to uncover.

Winter Made Things Worse

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The deer had weakened the trees which made them vulnerable to the elements when winter came. "With the heavy snow we got this winter, a lot of them were falling down, they were top heavy," Emanuel told the Advance.

His Yard Was Ruined

Youtube: Robert Thomas Foley

Emanuel was once proud of his backyard, and he wanted to restore it to the way it was. But the plants and flowers were a mess and so were the trees. So, he called Bob Foley of the New Jersey landscaping company Touch the Earth Inc. And that’s when he learned that the box wasn’t really a box at all.

The Mysterious Power Box

Youtube: City News Toronto

The power box had been driving Emanuel and his wife nuts. The object was partially unearthed and ruining the way his lovely garden looked. But when the professional landscapers stopped by to rebuild their damaged land, they were stunned to find that the box contained a long-forgotten secret.

The Emanuels Were Closer to the Truth

ABC News: Courtesy Matthew Emanuel

The box was more visible than it had ever been before. But what was inside it? It was only a matter of time before curiosity got the best of them, and the Emanuel family finally uncovered the truth. It was obvious that that the box hadn’t been moved in a very long time, so Emanuel decided to take a closer look.

The Box Was an Eyesore

ABC News: Courtesy Matthew Emanuel

The family could see the rusty box from the deck, the living room, and the kitchen, too. Foley planned on repairing the backyard, so he was eager to get rid of that unsightly thing. But first he had to get rid of the electric box, except... it was so much more than that.

It Was the Weirdest Thing He’d Seen

Youtube: City News Toronto

Foley had decades worth of landscaping experience, so he’d seen some rather bizarre things during his career. But he didn’t realize that he was about to see something he had never encountered before.

It Was Time to Get Rid of the Box

Facebook / Matthew Emanuel

Foley had worked in enough yards to know that that big rusty piece of metal wasn’t an electric box at all. But the box was in the way and his crew needed to get rid of it. So, there was no sense in keeping everyone in suspense any longer.

It Wasn’t an Electric Box

Twitter: Matthew Emanuel

When Foley pulled the box from the ground and flipped it over, he realized the box was a safe, which meant Emanuel’s assumptions were wrong. But what could possibly be inside of it?

They Were Ready to Take a Peek

Facebook / Matthew Emanuel

The Emanuel family hadn’t yet discovered what was actually concealed inside the safe. Was there a journal, a weapon, or stock certificates? Why had someone buried the safe in their yard? But when the box was finally opened, it produced more questions than answers.

They Discovered Hidden Treasure

Facebook / Matthew Emanuel

The safe was about one and a half feet in height and two feet across. It also weighed about 100 pounds. Fortunately, the contents inside were even more impressive. The safe had cash, gold and diamonds. They knew that none of these things belonged to them. But what were they supposed to do?

The Plastic Bag Bedazzled Them

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Foley and the Emanuels couldn’t believe their luck. The zip plastic bag inside the safe also contained jade, earrings and other pieces of jewelry. But although the items in the safe had survived, some of them were badly damaged.

The Money Was Ruined

Youtube: City News Toronto

The dollar bills were wet, so he set them out to dry for several days. Some of the bills were salvageable, but others were damaged beyond repair. The Emanuels had around $16,000 of usable cash. The extra gems brought the total to about $52,000. But what they discovered next made headlines all over the world...

The Piece of Paper Spoke Volumes

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There was a note inside the safe, along with a couple of personal documents all wrapped in a plastic zipper bag. When Emanuel read the letter, he was stunned. There was an address on the piece of paper, and Emanuel was determined to learn who it belonged to.

He Looked for the Safe’s Owners

Youtube: City News Toronto

Fortunately, the address was located in the vicinity of his neighborhood. Two days after the safe was discovered, he decided to go to the address and ask the people there if they were missing anything. It was, after all, the right thing to do. But he hadn’t realized that this would get the cops involved.

An Investigation Was Launched

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Emanuel knocked on the door, and an elderly woman greeted him. He introduced himself and asked, “I have a strange question for you. Have you ever been robbed?” The elderly woman was puzzled at first. Then she told him something that started an investigation.

There Was an After-Christmas Burglary

Youtube: CBS News

In 2011, the alleged ninja burglar broke into the elderly woman’s house the day after Christmas while she and her husband were away. But when they returned, they found their safe was missing. Had Emanuel discovered the missing link to an otherwise unsolved crime?

The Elderly Couple Had Given Up Hope

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The safe contained treasures and documents that were very special to the elderly couple. And when it was stolen, they feared they would never get it back. But was their stolen safe the same safe that Emanuel had discovered in his backyard?

Ninja Burglar Had Robbed for Ten Years

Youtube: Daily Mail

The Todt Hill neighborhood fell prey to Robert Costanzo, a conniving thief known as "Ninja Burglar," in 2011. His stealth made him an unseen menace. And in the span of a decade, he managed to rob more than 200 homes in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. But was he ever found?

Cops Caught up to Him

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Costanzo targeted 160 homes in Todt Hill, Staten Island. The community was mortified, to say the least. But in 2015, cops finally caught the ninja, which put everyone at ease. The office of District Attorney Michael E. McMahon wasn't able to link him to the elderly couple's robbery. But cops did investigate him as his M.O. was nearly identical to whoever took the couple's belongings.

The Elderly Couple Had a Happy Reunion

Flickr: Jessie Jacobson

The Emanuel family invited the elderly couple to visit their home and look through the contents they found. The woman cried the moment she saw the jewelry. She spent years dealing with the trauma of losing her treasured items. She never thought that they would be recovered. But would she get to keep it?

It Wasn’t Theirs to Begin With

Youtube: CBS New York

The Emanuel family managed to bring joy to the elderly couple who had lost their prized possessions several years earlier. But when people asked them why they returned the safe’s contents, the answer was simple. "It wasn't even a question. It wasn't ours," the wife told CNN affiliate WCBS, to which Emanuel added, "The reward is karma. Good karma."

Yard Sales Are Unpredictable

Facebook / Emil Knodell

Yard sale bargains are great! Not only do you get to buy things at a considerably lower cost than at a regular store, but you never know what hidden treasures you might find. Just ask Texas native Emil Knodell who got the surprise of his life at one estate sale...

He Traveled to an Estate Sale

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Knodell had gone to an estate sale on May 9, 2015, for a man who had passed away in Missouri City, Texas. The family was getting rid of a lot of their deceased loved one’s belongings and Knodell was respectfully enthusiastic about the whole thing. But he had no idea this sale would pay up big time.

He Went to the Sale Feeling Hopeful

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To most folks, a yard sale is a great opportunity to sell some of their unwanted items and earn some money in the process. But for people like Knodell, this was an opportunity to find something unique and hopefully valuable, which is exactly what was in the cards for him.

He Spent a Lot of Time Sifting

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The retired marketing director and former United States Veteran spent a lot of his spare time sifting through junk no one else wanted at yard and estate sales. But he was about to discover that some valuables are hidden in plain sight.

Buying Collectibles Was His Hobby

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Knodell had a thing for buying collectibles and antiques. This was his favorite thing to do in the whole wide world. So, when he went to the estate sale, his eyes locked on this specific object like a heat-seeking missile.

The Owners Didn’t Know What They Had

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Most people would never be so careless as to leave something valuable in a dresser drawer being sold at an estate sale. But some owners aren’t even aware that there’s anything there to find, which is exactly what Knodell was banking on.

The Chest Piqued His Interest

CNN

There was a chest with three drawers among the various items for sale. It also had a marble top, which made it even more extravagant. But for some odd reason, no one seemed interested in buying it.

The Chest Was More Than an Antique

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The dresser dated all the way back to about 1890, which meant it was over a century old. But no one had any idea that behind this seemingly normal looking chest there was a hidden secret waiting to be discovered.

He Inspected the Chest Carefully

CNN

He didn’t think that anyone would leave anything in the drawers of the dresser, but Knodell decided to take a look anyway. And as it turns out, he was right. The drawers were completely empty... or so he thought.

The Cost Made an Alarming Drop

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The chest had been priced at $300 during the initial days of the estate sale, but no one seemed to want it. So, the price was reduced by 25 percent, and still, the item remained unsold. So, the cost was cut by 50 percent. Even though the chest was ridiculously cheap already, Knodell was in the mood to bargain.

Knodell Was Ready to Haggle

Flickr: jongorey

Being in marketing had certainly given him the advantage of knowing how to haggle. So, he negotiated for a lower price and finally got them to lower the chest down to $100. And it was a deal that would pay off in more ways than one.

The Chest Was a Steal

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Knodell would have felt like a fool if he didn’t take advantage of such a bargain. But he didn’t realize that his decision would ultimately allow him to earn back more than he originally paid for the item.

He Had Big Plans for the Chest

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The chest had been on sale for days and no one had snatched it. But he was very interested. "Because it has a nice marble top, I hope to use it in my dining room," Knodell told ABC News. But he ran into some trouble.

He Couldn’t Lift It on His Own

CNN

Knodell went ahead and bought the chest, but he ended up needing the help from someone at Premiere Estate Sales Network to lift it. However, when they tried loading the furniture into the back of his truck, they heard a very unusual sound.

They Heard a Strange Noise

YouTube: Local 12 News

When they tipped the chest on its side, it sounded like there was metal moving inside of it. "As soon as we laid it down, it started making all this racket on the inside,” Jeff Allen from Premiere Estate Sale Network told ABC News. The men had no idea what was making the noise either.

The Chest Had a Hidden Secret

YouTube: Local 12 News

"When you look at the front of it, it looks like it has three obvious drawers with molding on the base, but the bottom has a secret drawer that opens up," Knodell told ABC News. And when he opened it, his jaw dropped.

Knodell Had Found the Treasure

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Most people only dream of ever finding hidden treasure, but Knodell had actually struck gold, so to speak. Once that secret drawer opened, a series of lost but valuable items were revealed to him.

The Chest Was Loaded with Treasure

YouTube: Local 12 News

Inside the drawer was jewelry with diamonds, a lock of hair, some military dog tags and Civil War memorabilia. Technically, they all belonged to him now, but he didn’t exactly feel comfortable keeping all of these incredible trinkets.

The Treasure Was Worth More than $100

Jeffrey Allen Premier / Estate Sales Network

The estimated cost of all the items inside the mysterious fourth drawer had never been appraised by a professional, but it’s believed that it was worth about $15,000, according to IcePop. But then Knodell did something very shocking.

The Treasure Was Technically His

CNN

No one would have argued with Knodell that the items belonged to him. He did technically buy the chest, which meant that anything inside belonged to him. But he didn’t see it that way at all.

He Didn’t Want the Treasure

ABC News

"I bought the chest drawers. I didn’t buy those things. If I kept them, I would never feel right about it. There would be a cloud over the whole thing. It’s a feeling more than anything else," Knodell told ABC News. But he had no intention of betraying his principles.

He Wanted to Do the Right Thing

YouTube: Local 12 News

"I’m an old ex-Marine and I try to do the right thing. Jeff also, the man in charge, his immediate reaction was, 'Let’s call the owner,'” Knodell told ABC News. But how would the owners react to the shocking discovery?

He Returned the Items to the Estate

YouTube: Local 12 News

Knodell returned all of the items from the fourth drawer to Allen at the estate sale. Now it was just a matter of finding the former owner’s next of kin to figure out who these items should go to.

The Son Had No Idea of the Treasure

ABC News

Knodell asked Allen to call the estate executor, who was also the son of the man who had passed away. “He remembers that dresser in a house in Michigan when he was a little child— in his grandfolks’ house. And he had no idea there was a hidden compartment,” Allen said of the son.

He Restored Faith in Humanity

Facebook: Emil Knodell

The son was grateful to Knodell not only for returning the items, but for his kindness, strong morals and integrity. Not only did this guy take the high road, but he restored everyone’s faith in humanity.