Unsuspecting Tenant Uncovers His Home’s Gruesome Past…And Present

Many people have no idea what happened inside their homes before they moved in. Such was the case for one unsuspecting man, who lived blissfully unaware of his home’s dark history until a chance encounter changed everything.

The man–identified by his Douyin (China’s TikTok) name, Xingxinzhe–was scrolling through videos when something familiar caught his eye. The video in question, which featured his rental property, was uploaded on July 22 by a TikToker who analyzes criminal cases.

Xingxinzhe discovered that a gruesome murder had taken place in his home ten years ago, in Jilin City. Not only that, but he had something in common with the murder suspects who were apprehended after police pieced together key evidence, such as elevator surveillance footage and a shredded rental agreement that was found in the toilet. Like him, the suspects were tenants, or at least could have been.

In March 2014, a woman welcomed two prospective tenants onto the property on behalf of her friends, not knowing that they intended to do her harm. The woman’s body was found on the property, covered by a patterned red pillow…that’s still there?

Xingxinzhe and his younger brother, who lived with him, had no idea that a murder had taken place in their home. Moreover, many pieces of furniture and appliances–including patterned red sofa cushions and the refrigerator–that were there during the murder were still in the home a decade later.

According to Yi Xu, a partner at the Hunan King Zone Lawyer Office, a tenant could demand compensation if the rental property’s history wasn’t disclosed to them. Xingxinzhe, who had paid top dollar to rent the place, was unable to get in contact with the owner and has since moved out.