They Found a 1996 McDonald’s Bag in the Wall… But What Was Inside Made the FBI Show Up

When contractor Eli Ramirez began renovating an old farmhouse outside Joliet, Illinois, he didn’t expect to stumble on a sealed time capsule hidden behind the kitchen wall—much less one that would trigger a federal investigation.

It started like a typical day. Eli was tearing out drywall when his crowbar struck something hollow. Inside the wall cavity, tucked behind insulation, was a perfectly preserved 1996 McDonald’s bag. At first, he laughed. “Probably just some old fries,” he joked to his coworker.

But when he opened the bag, the laughter stopped.

Inside were five Polaroid photographs—disturbing, unmarked, and clearly taken decades ago. Each showed a different child standing outside what looked like a playground or school. In the corner of one photo, scribbled faintly in red ink, were the words: “Next.”

Also in the bag was a cassette tape, labeled “Play Me.” Eli didn’t have a tape player, but curiosity got the better of him. He brought it to a local pawn shop, had it transferred to digital—and what he heard made his blood run cold.

The audio was grainy, but someone was speaking slowly, methodically, describing surveillance routines. Children’s names were mentioned. Schedules. A chilling phrase repeated:
“He always gets them on Fridays.”

Eli reported it immediately. Within 12 hours, the FBI showed up, confiscating the bag and everything inside. They confirmed the photographs matched open missing persons cases from the late ’90s—but refused to offer further details.

The farmhouse has since been sealed off for “ongoing investigation.” Eli moved out of town.

No charges have been filed. No suspects named. But rumors swirl in Joliet about an ex-McDonald’s employee who vanished in 1997—just weeks after the last child in those photos disappeared.