Family makes terrifying discovery after furniture moved, belongings go missing
A family in Arkansas discovered a stranger living in their basement after noticing missing belongings and displaced furniture. The man, identified as Preston Landis, had been staying in a closet for several days and was arrested on burglary and theft charges. Despite the intrusion, the family expressed empathy, stating they were not angry and believed the man was seeking shelter from the elements.
- ▪Dutch Hoggatt noticed his shoes were missing and later observed moved furniture and missing food.
- ▪The family found 41-year-old Preston Landis hiding in a basement storage closet and called the police.
- ▪Landis was charged with residential burglary and theft of property and is being held on a $15,000 bond.
- ▪He had spent at least two nights in the home, first in a crawl space and then in the basement.
- ▪The Hoggatt family expressed sympathy for Landis, saying he did not take many items and seemed to be trying to survive.
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US News Family makes terrifying discovery after furniture moved, belongings go missing By Patrick Reilly Published May 5, 2026, 1:31 p.m. ET A family from Arkansas discovered a complete stranger living in their basement — after noticing missing items and moved furniture. Dutch Hoggatt, a professor at Harding University, said he first became suspicious when his shoes, which he leaves daily at the back door at their home in Searcy, suddenly vanished. “I asked my wife if she had thrown them away, and she had not,” Hoggart told KHTV. “Over time, we noticed that chairs had been moved around in the house. We noticed that some of our food was missing.” 3 The stranger made his own bed in a basement closet.
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