0:00
Beneath the floor of a forgotten forest,
0:02
and hidden in plain sight was a secret
0:04
world. A world which was one man's
0:07
twisted version of freedom. From here,
0:09
you could find a world of wires, water
0:11
filters, solar panels, and silence. And
0:14
for almost 3 and 1/2 years, nobody knew
0:16
that someone was living here. However,
0:18
when a weary hunter stumbled across the
0:21
area and found him, he realized that
0:23
this man wasn't merely hiding from
0:25
society, but also from justice.
0:29
Welcome, or welcome back to Coffee House
0:31
Crime, folks. My name is Adrian, and
0:33
today we're heading underground to look
0:35
at one of the strangest stories I've
0:37
come across. Now, this one is a little
0:39
bit different to the usual format, but
0:41
I'm sure you'll find it interesting.
0:43
It's all about isolation, secrets, and
0:45
evading the law. Oh, and by the way,
0:47
don't be idolizing this guy because
0:49
despite the wild adventure, he
0:51
definitely is a sicko. Anyway, let's get
0:53
straight into this one. So, please grab
0:55
yourself a coffee, subscribe if you
0:56
haven't yet, and let's investigate. This
0:59
is the case of Jeremiah Button.
1:11
Today, we begin with a strange story
1:13
from Wisconsin. Going straight to the
1:15
story's Predator, we meet a man named
1:17
Jeremiah. And although Jeremiah lived
1:19
what many would call an ordinary life,
1:21
it eventually wouldn't ring true. Born
1:23
in April of 1975, he grew up in a small
1:26
town near Warsaw, the kind of place
1:28
where at the time you would never really
1:30
lock your front doors and where your
1:32
neighbors probably knew your middle
1:34
name. Now, Jeremiah was not particularly
1:36
wellknown, but he wasn't invisible
1:38
either. To most people, he was just that
1:40
quiet and slightly odd guy who mostly
1:43
kept to himself. He was interested in
1:45
computers, seemed intelligent, and
1:47
didn't cause much trouble, at least for
1:49
a while. Now, Jeremiah had a knack for
1:51
many things. He was proficient with
1:53
electronics, knew basically everything
1:55
about mechanical engineering, and
1:57
understood key survival skills. You
1:59
could also say that he had a high IQ,
2:02
but would also make poor decisions in,
2:04
well, several other ways. And I'm not
2:06
saying that as an observation, by the
2:08
way, because they are his very own
2:10
words. By the time he reached his late
2:12
30s, Jeremiah still lived quietly with
2:14
his parents in a modest home. However,
2:16
beneath that quiet surface was a man who
2:19
was hiding a very dark secret. And when
2:21
it finally came to light, well, let's
2:24
just say that it shocked the entire
2:26
community.
2:29
Despite the quiet facade, it turns out
2:31
that Jeremiah had actually been
2:33
committing horrific crimes under his
2:34
parents' very own roof for several
2:37
years. And I'm not talking about just
2:38
once or twice here, but a myriad of
2:41
times. Between the years of 2006 and
2:44
2012, making him 31 to 37 years at the
2:47
time. He'd been persuading a minor to do
2:50
unspeakable things with him. And to make
2:52
matters even worse, it turns out that
2:54
his victim was even related to him.
2:56
Tragically, this went on for several
2:58
years. And his family, they were none
3:00
the wiser. But when his victim was
3:02
finally old enough to grasp what had
3:03
happened, that is when she finally spoke
3:06
out. And that happened only 2 years
3:08
later in the year 2014. With her
3:11
testimony in hand, police officers
3:13
executed a search warrant on Jeremiah's
3:15
family home. They seized his computer
3:17
and all of his devices, and what they
3:19
found was absolutely horrifying. Inside
3:22
were not hundreds, but thousands of
3:24
images and videos of underage content.
3:27
And if that wasn't disturbing enough
3:29
already, authorities also uncovered
3:31
footage that he had filmed himself. And
3:33
from what we can gather from the
3:34
warrants, it was really vile stuff. In
3:37
terms of authenticity, the footage was
3:39
said to be timestamped and even matched
3:41
to the room inside his home. So officers
3:43
knew it was definitely him. As a result,
3:46
he was arrested and then charged with a
3:48
long list of felonies, which you can see
3:50
on the screen here. Now, I think all of
3:52
you would agree that it was the kind of
3:53
case that should have definitely put him
3:55
behind bars immediately. But
3:57
unfortunately, that would not be the
3:59
case, and instead something far more
4:02
bizarre happened. Despite the
4:04
overwhelming amount of evidence against
4:06
him, Jeremiah was granted release on a
4:08
$25,000 bond. As a result, he was forced
4:11
to surrender his passport and
4:14
essentially was banned from using the
4:15
internet. Oh, and also was restricted
4:18
from leaving the area. As far as I could
4:20
tell, though, he could actually go all
4:21
around the state without any
4:23
supervision. So, essentially, he was
4:26
free. And this is where it begins to
4:28
become quite strange. On the surface,
4:30
Jeremiah appeared compliant and showed
4:32
up to all of his pre-trial hearings. He
4:34
also met with his lawyer and gave no
4:36
indication of fleeing, at least not yet.
4:39
But behind the scenes, well, he was
4:42
quietly executing a plan. And then in
4:44
2016, and only two weeks before his
4:46
trial was set to begin, Jeremiah
4:48
vanished. And I mean quite literally
4:51
disappeared without a trace. Most of the
4:53
people on the outside thought that he
4:54
had simply run off, while others began
4:56
to speculate that maybe he had made one
4:59
too many enemies. Meanwhile, his family,
5:02
well, they thought they knew, but in
5:03
reality, they actually didn't.
5:06
Apparently, Jeremiah left a note for his
5:08
mother on the kitchen counter claiming
5:09
that he was leaving for Florida to start
5:11
a new life. Even so, officers couldn't
5:14
actually trace a single movement beyond
5:16
that point. And so, even they had
5:18
doubts. With no signs or leads, the
5:21
authorities placed Jeremiah Button at
5:23
the very top of their most wanted list.
5:26
But unfortunately, every public tip
5:28
would lead to a dead end, and they were
5:29
none the wiser as to where he may have
5:31
disappeared. But the truth is that
5:33
Jeremiah did not actually run very far.
5:36
He didn't board an airplane or even
5:38
cross any state lines. And instead, he
5:41
merely vanished into the woods. And it
5:43
would stay that way for quite a while,
5:45
too. Because for the next 3 and 1/2
5:47
years, not a single soul would see him
5:50
again.
5:53
Fast forward 3 and 1/2 years, and it is
5:55
now August of 2019. America was enjoying
5:58
yet another quiet summer. Some could
6:00
even argue the last normal one that we
6:02
had ever experienced. And deep in the
6:04
rural woods of Wisconsin, a man named
6:06
Tom Nelson was out on his usual walking
6:08
route. As a very well-seasoned
6:10
outdoorsman, Tom knew these forests like
6:13
the back of his hand. He had hunted
6:14
these trails for several years, getting
6:16
to know the terrain and the people
6:18
around the small town of Wrangle. For
6:20
the most part, the woodlands that
6:22
surround this area are peaceful. The Ice
6:24
Age Trail, which cuts through this
6:26
region, offers hikers and hunters alike
6:28
the chance to explore Wisconsin's
6:30
natural beauty. But saying that, there
6:32
was also one patch of the forest that
6:34
had now been bothering Tom for several
6:36
months. And there was something that he
6:38
just couldn't shake out of his gut
6:40
instinct. You see, a few months prior
6:42
and back in November of 2018, Tom had
6:45
spotted something odd. From what he
6:47
remembered, it was a bitterly cold day.
6:49
And with this being Wisconsin, there was
6:51
snow everywhere. As you can imagine,
6:53
snow does not let much slip by
6:55
unnoticed. You take a step and there's a
6:58
footprint and you brush past a branch
7:00
and there's disturbed foliage. And well,
7:02
if you fall over, yep, you've got a
7:04
buttprint. And for someone like Tom, who
7:06
I already mentioned was a seasoned
7:08
hunter, those clues were as clear as
7:10
trail markers. So, when he noticed
7:13
unusual tracks, that being snow that had
7:15
been deliberately brushed away by pine
7:17
branches, well, Tom knew that someone
7:20
was trying to cover up their path. And
7:22
of course, that led him to the next
7:24
question. Why? Curious by the markings,
7:26
Tom followed the trail. And that is when
7:28
he found something that he never
7:30
expected. A hidden door that seemed to
7:32
be built right into the hillside. At
7:34
first, Tom wasn't quite sure what to
7:36
make of it. But that is when he noticed
7:38
a makeshift septic system nearby. And
7:40
let's just say that by his eyesight and
7:43
his nose, he could tell it had
7:44
definitely had some use. both uneasy and
7:47
unsure of what he had just stumbled
7:49
upon. Tom then left the area and tried
7:52
to put it out the back of his mind. And
7:53
he did even call the police to report
7:55
it, but without any clear directions,
7:58
they couldn't find the spot he was
7:59
talking about.
8:03
And so, with no answers and that mystery
8:06
still noring away at him, Tom decided to
8:08
return only a few months later,
8:10
determined to uncover what exactly or
8:13
who exactly was hiding in those woods.
8:16
The entrance was basically invisible
8:18
because apparently you could be standing
8:20
20 ft away from it and never know it was
8:22
there. But eventually Tom spotted it
8:24
once again. And this time he was ready.
8:27
As he approached the doorway, his hands
8:29
trembled with fear and excitement. He
8:32
didn't know whether he was about to step
8:34
into some random abandoned shelter or
8:37
actually someone's home. And what if
8:40
they had a gun? Very slowly, he pushed
8:42
the door open. And as the dust began to
8:44
settle, he could finally see inside. And
8:47
that is when he saw all of it. There was
8:49
canned food, cardboard boxes, stray
8:52
wires, and a single light bulb hanging
8:54
from the ceiling, still swaying gently
8:56
in the air. But there was more, too.
9:01
And this is where the story becomes
9:03
almost surreal because what Tom had just
9:05
stepped into wasn't merely some
9:07
abandoned hideout or even a harmless
9:09
camping site in the woods, but instead
9:12
he had unknowingly entered the secret
9:14
underground bunker of Jeremiah Button.
9:16
Despite the note he had left behind for
9:18
his mother, claiming that he had run off
9:20
to Florida, Jeremiah hadn't actually
9:22
fled the state at all. He wasn't
9:24
homeless, and he certainly hadn't been
9:26
murdered. Instead, he had built a life
9:28
for himself right here in the middle of
9:30
these woods. Looking at aerial shots
9:32
from above, the bunker was literally
9:35
invisible, perfectly camouflaged beneath
9:37
a tangle of branches, leaves, and
9:39
undergrowth. In fact, he had even
9:41
encouraged heavy undergrowth in the area
9:43
around his bunker to make it basically
9:44
inaccessible, which meant that to anyone
9:47
walking past it, the bunker looked like
9:49
just another subtle rise in the forest
9:51
floor. But underneath the leaves and
9:53
dirt was an entirely different world.
9:55
The entrance was hidden beneath a sheet
9:57
of plywood and covered in forest debris.
10:00
Found below was a handdug tunnel which
10:02
was around 4 ft deep. A tunnel which led
10:05
into a concealed chamber only big enough
10:07
to lie down and move around in. Above
10:09
ground, a solar panel had been mounted
10:11
high enough to catch the light above the
10:13
tree line, which then provided power to
10:15
a series of basic electronics. Several
10:18
homemade battery banks which were found
10:20
inside were used to store that energy.
10:22
And rather surprisingly, when sunlight
10:24
wasn't enough, Jeremiah had wired up a
10:27
stationary bike to generate extra
10:29
charge, literally pedaling his way to
10:31
power while staying fit. He also had a
10:33
fully functional radio tuned to weather
10:36
updates and local broadcasts. For
10:38
hydration, water jugs were found
10:40
scattered around the place alongside a
10:42
rudimentary filtration system, which
10:44
could then collect and clean rainwater.
10:46
Shelves were lined with hundreds of
10:48
canned goods, grains, and dried foods,
10:51
all of which were carefully stockpiled
10:52
and rationed to last him a lifetime. The
10:55
entire bunker had been blanketed in tarp
10:57
to help keep it dry, and a ventilation
10:59
shaft brought in fresh air, which
11:01
allowed Jeremiah to stay underground for
11:03
long periods of time. However, one of
11:05
the craziest details to all of this is
11:08
that on one of the walls inside was a
11:10
flat screen television. Not only was
11:12
this TV hooked up to the solar power,
11:14
but it was also positioned so that
11:16
Jeremiah could watch from his makeshift
11:18
bed, it was also set up with both a DVD
11:21
player and a VHS system. And to add a
11:23
little bit of weirdness to the mix, many
11:25
of the DVDs nearby were children's shows
11:28
and cartoons. There were kettles, frying
11:30
pans, axes, shovels, and buckets.
11:33
Whatever you can think of, Jeremiah had
11:35
it. From camouflage netting to
11:37
handpacked insulation, he thought of
11:39
literally everything to help keep him
11:41
comfortable. I mean, the man had even
11:43
let his appearance change after all
11:45
these years, growing out both his hair
11:47
and his beard to help blend into the
11:49
wilderness. And like I said, the bunker
11:52
was so well hidden that nobody would see
11:54
it. Of course, apart from Tom Nelson. In
11:57
fact, the only clues that may have
11:58
possibly given it away was a tin can
12:01
chimney, eight small solar panels, and
12:03
an antenna taped to a tree.
12:06
However, before we take a look at how he
12:08
survived out here for so long, let's
12:10
first take a look at where he chose to
12:11
hide because the location was all part
12:14
of his strategy. Hidden away on state
12:16
land, Jeremiah chose his bunker site in
12:18
the small town of Ringol, which
12:20
conveniently is concealed within
12:22
hundreds of acres of dense Wisconsin
12:25
forest. It's worth noting here this is
12:27
roughly 150 mi away from Richfield,
12:30
which is the place where he lived with
12:31
his mother. He picked this spot for its
12:33
isolation and for its proximity to the
12:36
Marathon County landfill, and he would
12:38
visit this place almost every single
12:40
night to scavenge for food and supplies.
12:43
From everything that I've been able to
12:44
gather online, the bunker was located
12:46
around half a mile north of the landfill
12:49
around 500 ft from the ice age trail on
12:51
a southacing embankment and near a
12:54
swamp. The bunker was also on an angle
12:56
and likely facing south to help his
12:58
solar panels catch maximum sunlight.
13:00
Now, based on all of this information,
13:03
that would place him either here or here
13:05
on the map. And if I zoom out, you can
13:08
now see just how remote the area really
13:10
is. But with that said, if things ever
13:13
got very desperate for Jeremiah, or if
13:15
perhaps maybe he was just craving a
13:17
Hershey's bar. There was also a Dollar
13:19
General store not too far away. After
13:21
choosing this location, he then quietly
13:24
began to carve out his new home, digging
13:26
roughly 12 to 15 ft into the embankment.
13:29
During many trips between Richfield and
13:32
Ringle, he stockpiled canned foods and
13:34
supplies and bought in bulk to transport
13:36
them little by little. Nobody asked
13:38
Jeremiah any questions because first of
13:40
all, he wasn't breaking any laws and
13:43
also he wasn't violating his bail
13:45
conditions. As his trial date
13:47
approached, Jeremiah quietly made his
13:49
move. That is when he left his car
13:51
behind, abandoned his ID, and left his
13:53
wallet. Meanwhile, writing a note to his
13:56
mother claiming that he was heading to
13:57
Florida. And of course then he vanished.
14:00
To avoid being caught by any
14:02
surveillance cameras, Jeremiah buried
14:04
himself in coal on a freight train. From
14:06
there he tked 2 days on foot to the
14:09
bunker which he had spent nearly two
14:12
whole years constructing. And let's be
14:14
honest, by then it likely already felt
14:17
like home to him. In fact, as the months
14:19
turned into years, Jeremiah even
14:21
expanded his bunker, not only digging a
14:24
well, but even remodeling the place when
14:26
he began to run out of room. through the
14:28
brutal Wisconsin winters. He survived on
14:31
wood that he had stockpiled and burned
14:32
in a fire pit that he had carefully
14:35
designed to produce minimal smoke. And
14:37
when it snowed, well, he would walk in
14:39
loops, brushing away his footprints with
14:42
tree branches to avoid leaving a trail.
14:44
Ironically though, it would be that very
14:46
act that would eventually lead someone
14:49
directly to him.
14:52
Which brings us back to the day that Tom
14:54
Nelson slowly stepped inside his bunker.
14:57
However, as dramatic as that might
14:58
sound, the actual encounter was
15:00
surprisingly underwhelming. After
15:02
walking in and turning his flashlight
15:04
on, he swept across the space, spotting
15:07
pots, pans, and tinned food. And then,
15:10
as he passed over the bed, he saw
15:12
something immediately shift. It was
15:14
Jeremiah, and he was staring right back
15:16
at him. Tom didn't say a word.
15:18
Completely shocked by the situation, he
15:20
simply turned around, walked out, and
15:22
then called the police. When deputies
15:25
finally arrived, they then tried to
15:26
convince Jeremiah to come out. But for
15:28
the next 20 minutes, he desperately
15:30
resisted, instead telling them that he
15:32
was a wanted man. In fact, at one point,
15:35
he even considered setting himself on
15:37
fire rather than being taken in, but
15:39
eventually changed his mind. When
15:41
Jeremiah finally surrendered, he wasn't
15:43
hostile whatsoever. In fact, he was both
15:46
calm and friendly. And after years of
15:48
near total isolation, he even seemed
15:50
relieved. And apparently one of the
15:52
first things he said to officers was how
15:54
nice it was to finally have some human
15:56
contact. And honestly, that's not too
15:59
surprising because after more than 3
16:01
years living off-rid, alone in silence
16:04
and beneath the forest floor, this was
16:06
basically the first proper conversation
16:08
that he had had in a very long time.
16:11
After being discovered, Jeremiah went
16:13
into custody without a fight. He was
16:15
calm, cooperative, and even seemed
16:18
relieved. A fugitive from the Wasa area
16:20
is back behind bars this morning after a
16:23
hunter discovered him hiding in a
16:25
bunker. This is a remarkable story. Look
16:27
at this video here. Police say the
16:28
makeshift hideout was carved into the
16:31
hillside and covered with logs. Jeremiah
16:34
Button lived there for 3 years, living
16:36
off items that he found in the landfill,
16:38
which was a half mile away. It was even
16:40
outfitted with electricity and a water
16:43
filter system. Tom Nelson described what
16:47
he found back on August 9th.
16:49
And then I come around the corner a
16:51
little bit and there he is laying in his
16:53
bed.
16:55
I mean, I I was shaking when I went in.
16:57
I was shaking when I went out.
17:00
Button vanished in 2016, just weeks
17:03
before he was set to stand trial on
17:05
child sex charges. He was then held on a
17:07
$100,000 bond, which honestly I kind of
17:11
find to be a strange decision because,
17:13
well, I mean, it's kind of obvious. If
17:16
Jeremiah had already managed to
17:17
disappear into the woods after being
17:19
released on bond once, then apart from
17:22
the money, what was really going to stop
17:24
him from doing it again? During his
17:26
interviews, Jeremiah admitted that he
17:28
hadn't told a single soul about the
17:30
bunker? Not friends, not family,
17:32
literally no one. In fact, he even
17:35
claimed that he had zero contact with
17:37
any of his loved ones ever since the day
17:39
he vanished. Basically, he lived in
17:41
total isolation, barring the occasional
17:44
exchange in words with nearby hikers who
17:46
sometimes passed by. It was by his own
17:49
admission an incredibly lonely
17:51
existence. Back at the bunker, which by
17:54
now had become the scene of a full-blown
17:56
investigation, police officers executed
17:58
a search warrant, before then seizing
18:00
several hard drives and many electronic
18:02
devices. At first, there were several
18:05
concerns that the previously recovered
18:07
evidence may no longer be admissible
18:09
after so much time had passed. However,
18:12
the prosecution was quick to clarify
18:14
that that would not be the case. They
18:16
highlighted that the evidence collected
18:18
in 2014, back when the initial charges
18:20
were filed, were all still intact, and
18:23
that the video footage of the abuse
18:24
conducted by Jeremiah had been
18:26
preserved. In 2020, Jeremiah Button
18:29
pleaded no contest to multiple felony
18:32
counts, including child enticement and
18:34
possession of child pornography. As part
18:37
of a plea deal, several other charges
18:39
were dropped, but the weight of his
18:40
crimes were still more than heavy
18:42
enough. And so as a result, he was
18:45
sentenced to 34 years in prison, meaning
18:47
that by the time he gets out of prison,
18:50
he will be 74 years old. The friends and
18:53
family of his victim were all relieved
18:55
to hear his sentence, with Jeremiah even
18:58
addressing the courtroom with his own
18:59
apology.
19:01
I have no excuse for what I've done, nor
19:03
can I explain it. I know at the time
19:07
I came up with justifications for it,
19:09
but the bottom line is I was sick and
19:11
out of my mind. To add to this, Jeremiah
19:14
also said that he decided to live in the
19:16
woods as it was his own personal way of
19:18
punishing himself for his crimes.
19:20
However, if you ask me, I think he was
19:23
just terrified of what inmates would do
19:24
to people with crimes like his. To this
19:27
day, Jeremiah Button remains behind bars
19:30
in a Wisconsin state correctional
19:31
facility with his underground bunker.
19:33
were now nothing more than a strange and
19:36
unsettling footnote in the story of a
19:38
man who tried to run from justice, but
19:40
couldn't hide forever. In August of
19:42
2021, the state's Department of Natural
19:45
Resources officially dismantled his
19:47
bunker. It took several days and a full
19:50
crew of people to help clear it out
19:52
because, as you've seen, there was a lot
19:54
of stuff crammed inside. Eventually, the
19:57
entire structure was filled in,
19:59
including the massive homemade septic
20:01
system, which, yes, was still full of
20:04
human poop. Today, all that remains is a
20:06
patch of uneven ground with no entrance,
20:09
no signs, and no clues. It's just a
20:12
quiet clearing in the woods where a very
20:14
strange chapter has now finally come to
20:17
an end.
20:19
And that is the bizarre story of
20:21
Jeremiah Button. You know, it is
20:23
actually a shame that this guy is such a
20:25
vile scumbag because if his crimes had
20:27
been different for, I don't know, fraud
20:29
or unpaid taxes or maybe not paying the
20:32
council, then many people would actually
20:34
see this man as an off-grid hero. I'm
20:36
thinking like Kildozer, but the
20:37
bulldozer doesn't move. But
20:39
unfortunately, with crimes like this,
20:42
there is no coming back. Anyway, I just
20:44
wanted to talk about this story because
20:46
I find anything secret, hidden, or
20:47
underground to be well, mildly
20:50
thrilling, I guess. And this one
20:52
definitely ticks all those boxes. It is
20:54
a very weird one for sure. Anyway, I
20:57
hope you don't mind the detour from our
20:58
usual stories, but as always, share your
21:00
thoughts down below. I try to read as
21:02
many comments as possible. And I know
21:04
this video is slightly shorter than
21:05
usual, but it's actually for very good
21:07
reason. Would you believe it that I'm
21:09
actually spending time away and having a
21:11
couple weeks off? I haven't actually
21:13
left yet, but this video is planned to
21:14
be released once I return. Anyway, I'm
21:17
spending time with family and friends
21:18
back in the UK, and honestly, I can't
21:20
wait. And I'm sure I'm going to have
21:22
fun. By the way, is it only me that
21:24
feels really guilty leaving pets on
21:25
holiday? I'm already missing Nero.
21:27
Anyway, thank you so much for watching
21:29
today, folks. I really do appreciate you
21:31
making it this far. If this case gave
21:33
you chills or made you check your
21:34
basement, then please do consider
21:36
subscribing. I make up to two videos a
21:38
week here. Anyway, I'll see you again
21:40
very soon, likely in a week's time.
21:42
Until that moment arrives, though,
21:43
remember to look after yourselves, look
21:45
after each other, and of course, stay
21:47
curious. Thank you and goodbye.