Viral TikTok videos showing a rug unearthed in a Columbus, Ohio, woman’s backyard sparked a police investigation and fueled social media speculation about the possibility of a buried body.
However, the search ended Friday afternoon with no evidence of anything suspicious, the Columbus Dispatch reported.
Katie Santry, who was digging holes for a fence in her backyard, uncovered what seemed to be a buried rug, as she shared in a TikTok video earlier this week.
Santry’s first video has racked up over 3 million views, while her full series of more than 20 clips detailing the rug mystery has amassed over 100 million views.
The question “What’s in the rug?” began trending online.
I am SO invested in Katie Santry’s ‘What’s In The Rug’ tiktok series pic.twitter.com/JWIzdJn1xE
— Shelbi Nikol (@ShelbiNikol) October 3, 2024
The Dispatch reached out to the home’s previous owner, 95-year-old Ohio resident Myron Weil, who said police contacted his family on Thursday. Weil mentioned that he and his wife spent a lot of time gardening and speculated that they might have accidentally unearthed a buried burlap bag.
Do you know about What’s In The Rug Santry #whatsintherug pic.twitter.com/DKdDG6SVZr
— weakankleblake (@WeakAnkleBlake) October 4, 2024
“The police called us yesterday, and they also asked some questions,” Weil told the Dispatch. “They talked to my son, too. None of us could remember anything about what was buried.”
He added: “I just hope that if there’s treasure there … I hope they get lucky.”
Concerns escalated on Thursday when two cadaver dogs signaled the possible presence of human remains in Santry’s backyard. Police began digging on Friday, eventually bringing in an excavator, but according to a spokeswoman for the Columbus Division of Police, they only uncovered “some remnants of a rug material.”
Well, that was a fun mystery. Carry on.
