Family finds mysterious photo box in attic; vows to return to rightful owner
CHANDLER, Ariz. (FOX 10) - A mysterious discovery inside the attic of a Chandler home. A family finds a box full of pictures, dating back decades. These priceless memories left behind. Now, the family who found them wants to make sure they're returned to their rightful owners.
This story is like out of a movie. Old family photos tucked away in the far corner of an attic and they were found by complete coincidence.
These photographs are like a journey through time. Faces and places of days past. Family trips. The good times. Milestones in life. But Tony Deida has no idea who any of the people in the photographs are.
"It didn't look like we were related to any of these people," Deida said.
Deida is moving his family from a house they rent from his daughter-in-law to another house in Chandler. They were packing up when Deida stumbled upon the mystery box in the attic.
"I stumbled back a fell, pulled a Clark Griswold, landed on something, a bunch of insulation, and found an old box with like ten layers of dust on them," Deida said. "That's how I stumbled upon it."
Now the search is on. Deida and his wife are both Phoenix Police officers and his children have picked up their parents' investigation skills. They're scouring Facebook and Instagram for anyone with the names they found on the box and on a sales slip inside.
"It's no surprise that my kids wanted to sink their teeth into this and find the owners," Deida said.
They've sent messages on social media hoping that the memories aren't forgotten, but can be claimed by whoever's family is in the photos.
"There's a couple of trips to Alcatraz, family memories, Halloweens, birthdays, just goofing around," Deida said. "[It] looks like high school kids. I've got five kids myself, so if I lost any of these myself, I'd be upset about it."
So now that we've got the word out, if you know any of the people in the pictures, Deida could use your help. He says the best way to reach him is his Instagram.