Purchasing a moving pod isn't uncommon. In fact, people purchasing moving pods on a daily basis to move items from one place to another.
(prHWY.com) March 28, 2012 - Seattle, WA -- Purchasing a moving pod isn't uncommon. In fact, people purchasing moving pods on a daily basis to move items from one place to another. What is uncommon is someone purchasing a moving pod, paying for 20 years in advance and then disappearing. If it sounds like something out of a mystery novel, it isn't. It is what happened to recently purchased Tulsa area moving pod company, Pick Up and Go.
"Part of the agreement when I purchased Pick Up and Go, was that I would get all the old accounts", said new owner Todd Murphy. "I was sitting going through a stack of old records when I came across a paper that showed someone prepaid for a moving pod back in 1989. I was shocked."
The moving pod was purchased by a man by the name of Peter Panis. The
moving pod was never taken off the company's lot, but has been locked up tight with a lock that was not purchased by any member of the Pick Up and Go staff.
"Obviously the name Peter Panis is a fake name. Someone just used fictional character Peter Pan and added an I S to the end", said lead detective on the case, Joe Collins. "It must have taken some really good forged documents, and real looking fake IDs to pull this stunt off."
Todd Murphy immediately notified police when the number given for Peter Panis was reported as disconnected. The address on the account also led to a vacant lot in downtown Tulsa.
"I immediately knew something was up", said Murphy. "I could feel it. The hairs on my arms were standing up, I was shivering. It was creepy."
Police arrived on the scene to see what they could do within the realms of the law. After having a bomb sniffing dog come out, and trying to use thermal heat imaging, the police granted Murphy permission to enter on the grounds it was abandoned property.
"I was scared to open it up for fear there would be a dead body or something", said Murphy.
Murphy cut the lock off of the moving pod, pulled open the doors and revealed the surprise inside. Inside the moving pod was a VHS tape, intricate posters, and a huge sign that said "Took you long enough".
"It really is bizarre", said local resident Tommy Hill. "Someone paid all that money just to see what people would do? I thought people were crazy nowadays but it looks like they were going crazy 20 years ago."
Police are currently investigating if any crime was committed. They ran fingerprints to see if it is linked to any cold cases, but so far nothing has come up. It looks like it was just a very expensive prank.
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