A group of teenagers made an unexpected and gruesome discovery while creating innocent TikTok content on a beach.
Three teenagers were filming videos on Alki Beach, West Seattle, in 2020 when they spotted a suitcase.
Letting curiosity get the better of them, they proceeded to open the case not knowing what they were about to find and how its contents would lead to a man being sentenced to years in jail.
In the harrowing video that’s still doing the rounds online to this day, one girl climbs down onto a rocky part of the beach to get closer to the suitcase which the person behind the camera said ‘stinks’.
And the smell grew worse when they opened the case up to find something wrapped in what looked to be a black garbage bag.
Unsure whether it was food inside the case that smelt or something more sinister, one group member called the police to have them come check it out.
It was later confirmed that it was in fact human remains inside the suitcase and firefighters went on to find other body parts in more discarded bags in the same area.
Police went on to identify the bodies as being those of Jessica Lewis, 35, and Austin Wenner, 27.
The King County Medical Examiner’s Office determined Lewis died from multiple gunshot wounds and Wenner died from a gunshot wound to the torso, said FOX 13.
The chilling video of the teens making the dark discovery went on to be viewed 30 million times, but it was eventually taken down following pressure from relatives of the victims.
It’s unclear if TikTok took it down or if the original poster did, the BBC reported.
After identifying the couple, police later named their landlord, Michael Dudley, as a suspect.
Dudley was eventually charged with two counts of second-degree murder, which he was found guilty of after a jury trial on December 6, 2022.
Prosecutors said Dudley had grown frustrated with the couple over rent payments.
Fast forward to April of last year and the 65-year-old man received a 560 month sentence (over 46 years) and is currently behind bars at Washington State Penitentiary.
Speaking after his sentencing, Jessica Lewis’ aunt said: “I’m just glad we are safer now that man is off the streets and not taking advantage of or hurting and preying on people when down on their luck anymore.”
