A postal worker who discovered three bodies at a blood-covered home in Mount Holly, New Jersey, fears an eerie note found at the property was left specifically for him. Don Clements was working his usual route on Friday when he spotted the sign, which featured ominous drawings of two sad faces with Xs for eyes and read '9-1-1 Inside'.
Clements told the New York Post that he realised he was the only person who could have seen the sign. 'I thought it was weird, because the only person that would have been able to see that sign would have been me, 'cause I'm the only one that goes to that house every day,' he said. 'And it's just like, nobody else can; you can't see that sign from outside.'
Mailbox sealed with tape
The Winding Way property's mailbox was sealed shut with clear wrapping tape, the same tape used to attach the sign by the door. 'The only person who goes up to the door is the mail carrier,' Clements added. 'It's weird. The whole situation was weird. Definitely don't want it to happen again.'
The note prompted Clements to raise the alarm, as he asked a passing local for advice before making the phone call. Police subsequently found a bloody scene and three deceased elderly individuals. Causes of death and identities have not been released, but a neighbour who has lived on the estate for 50 years said a family of brothers and sisters lived at the house.
Neighbour describes reclusive family
The woman, who wished to remain anonymous, said the family 'pretty much stayed by themselves' and 'would barely leave their house'. They also did not drive anywhere. On Tuesday, she noticed 'someone coming out of the house' to dump the rubbish. 'All the years I've been here, I've never seen anybody come in, go out of the house,' she explained, except for one brother who, 'like clockwork', would walk down to 7-Eleven at 2.30pm each day.
'But it was trash day. He had a bag in his hand, took it down to the kerb, dropped it next to another container. It was just a little bag. He put it down and walked away.' Dressed in 'all black', he then 'walked away'.
Note with two faces
Despite there being three bodies inside, there were still only two 'rudimentary' faces on the paper. 'Two fit exactly. On the picture. That's all he had room for. It was an 8.5, like a regular 8.5 by 11 sheet,' Clements recalled. He previously assumed three or four residents lived at the deteriorating home, and they seemed like 'nice people'.
The building was in poor condition, with rotted window frames and peeling paint, standing out among the well-kept homes in the tiny Philadelphia suburb. Clements remains shaken by the discovery, saying it is not something that happens 'every day'. 'This is the first time I've ever, ever seen something like that.'
