Des Moines realtor uncovers handprint embedded in floor after unattended death in home renovation

DES MOINES, Iowa — A Des Moines-based realtor says she uncovered the spot where a former homeowner’s body had melted into the floor during a routine renovation. Nikki Snyder purchased the two-bedroom, one-bathroom home for $99,000 in 2021 and began renting it out. After a tenant’s pet destroyed the carpet earlier this year, she decided to redo the floors and investigate what lay beneath.

In reviewing old photos of the property, Snyder noticed a rug in the middle of the floor placed in an awkward position, a clue that raised her suspicions about what might be hidden beneath the carpet. She decided to pull up the carpet and found something far more disturbing than a simple flooring issue. Under the carpeting, she saw an outline of a human hand stained in black on the floor, with subsequent observations indicating additional contours that resembled a hand and possible foot marks.

Snyder later learned from the real estate agent that there had been an unattended death in the house in the summer, with no air-conditioning, resulting in the body allegedly melting into the floor. While past owners had removed much of the surrounding area, what remained was the spot where the deceased’s hand and feet had rested. “When we pulled the carpet back, we saw that the previous owners had cut out most of the body, but there was a significant hand and arm print, as well as a possible footprint,” she said. Snyder added that she was not frightened by the discovery, noting that she had studied mortuary science in her 20s and had dealt with death before. “It didn’t bother me knowing he had passed. I wasn’t afraid. Just sad for the guy,” she said.

She described the deceased as likely a recluse with little contact with family and said he had been in the home for about a couple of weeks before his death. After documenting the find, Snyder laid down new flooring and has since rented the house again; her current tenants are aware of the story. She also recalled feeling a heavy presence in the home at times and said that, while the discovery was unsettling, she remained pragmatic. “People die every day and I believe he’s in a better place than that house,” she said.

The episode drew renewed attention when Snyder posted a video of the discovery to TikTok in July. The clip went viral, drawing millions of views and sparking a wider conversation about how people react to encounters with death in the context of real estate. “I often share my real estate stories on TikTok,” Snyder said. “I was a little surprised by the reaction, but it showed how little exposure to death and the dying process people have.”

The story has since circulated primarily through commentary on the original Daily Mail report, which documented Snyder’s account and the surrounding details, including the home’s price, renovation timeline, and the unseen history beneath the floorboards. While the incident is unusual, it highlights how private residences can harbor hidden histories that come to light only after major renovations or changes in tenancy.

The property at the center of the case is now tenanted, with the new flooring and updated interior. The episode remains part of a broader, global conversation about housing, mortality, and the way people process unfamiliar encounters with death in everyday settings. The details, drawn from Snyder’s interview and the reporting by Daily Mail, underscore the sensitivity and caution that accompany investigations into residential histories and the fate of former occupants.

Ultimately, the account serves as a stark reminder that homes can carry long echoes of their past. For Snyder, the experience is both a tangible burden and a curious, if unsettling, piece of local history. As investigators and property owners alike consider how to balance transparency with privacy, the Des Moines property stands as a testament to how a renovation can reveal more than just new floors—and how a single discovery can ripple through a community and beyond.