Serial killers? Drugs? Money laundering? Just some of the wild theories a Vancouver Island couple have been sent by the general public after they made a rather strange, but cuddly discovery hidden in the walls of their home.
Pulling back pieces of drywall in the garage at their new home near Spectacle Lake, Connor Nijsse and Brianne Hinkkuri found instead of insulation, 115 stuffed animals crammed into the wall.
鈥淭here were dozens of stuffed animal eyes staring back at me,鈥� said Nijsse. 鈥淚 was in disbelief.鈥�
The bizarre moment was captured on video and shared on Nijsse鈥檚 TikTok page, Connor鈥檚 Custom Woodwork (c.c. woodwork), which quickly went viral, garnering over five million views.
That鈥檚 when the theories started to roll in.
鈥淥ne woman reached out saying this must be a serial killer house,鈥� said Nijsse. 鈥淭hat the family were adopting and killing orphans and the stuffed animals belonged to them.鈥�
鈥淧eople watch too much true crime on television."
Suggestions the toys were packed full of drugs or money were also quickly dismissed by the couple.
鈥淲e opened up a couple of them, it was just stuffing,鈥� said Nijsse. 鈥淭here鈥檚 nothing good in any of them.鈥�
The truth about the stuffed animal mystery? The couple have their own, rather less exciting theory: the bags of toys were quite simply, insulation.
According to Nijsse, the previous owners had lived at the property for 30 years. When building the garage in the early 2000s, the couple used the toys, no longer wanted by their three adult children, as a cost-saving method to insulate the walls, speculate the couple.
"Not quite as exciting as a serial killer,鈥� says Nijsse. 鈥淏ut that鈥檚 what makes sense to us.鈥�
As well as messages from wannabe online sleuths, the couple鈥檚 video has also sparked fond memories world-wide.
鈥淧eople are telling us they recognize stuffies from their childhood and that they鈥檇 love to have them again,鈥� said Nijsse.
In response to the outpouring of nostalgia, the retro toys, which Nijsse and Hinkkuri think could originate from the 鈥�80s and 鈥�90s, are now winging their way across the world to new homes.
A pink elephant is headed for Las Vegas, a brown bear to Indiana, a pair of yellow ducks to the U.K. and a plaid monkey with brilliant blue eyes is on its way to South Carolina.
Dealing with multiple requests a day, Nijsse says he has become a familiar face at his local branch of Canada Post, with staff also recognizing him from the TikTok video. His viral fame has also changed things, maybe not for the better, at work.
鈥淭he girls at work have started calling me 鈥楾eddy鈥�,鈥� said Nijsse. 鈥淚'm not really sure how I feel about that.鈥�
But not all of the stuffed animals will be leaving the couple's home. One 鈥榖ig brown bear鈥� that caught the eye of Nijsse will be staying put, while some unlucky cuddly critters are headed straight back to where they came from: the garage wall.
鈥淛ust to make it a little weirder for the next guy,鈥� jokes Nijsse. 鈥淧ay it forward in a strange sort of way.鈥�
With files from Christine van Reeuwyk
Things you find鈥� Part 1
