North Carolina Student Finds Stranger Hiding in Her Closet Wearing Her Clothes
What began as a series of unexplained incidents in a University of North Carolina at Greensboro student’s apartment turned into a frightening discovery when she found a stranger hiding inside her closet.
In February 2019, the student, who was living in an off-campus apartment with roommates, began noticing that some of her belongings were disappearing. Clothes, including shirts and trousers, went missing, while unexplained handprints appeared on the bathroom wall.
At first, she and her roommates reportedly joked that the apartment might be haunted.
But the mystery took a disturbing turn one Saturday afternoon when she returned home and heard noises coming from her closet.
She called out, “Who’s there?”
A man inside the closet reportedly responded, “Oh, my name is Drew.”
When she opened the door, she found a 30-year-old man identified as Andrew Swofford crouching inside. According to reports, he was wearing some of her clothes, socks and shoes, while carrying a backpack containing additional belongings believed to belong to her.
Despite the frightening discovery, the student reportedly remained calm and kept Swofford engaged in conversation while quietly contacting her boyfriend. He arrived at the apartment and helped remove the man before police took him into custody.
What initially appeared to be an isolated break-in reportedly led investigators to a much larger criminal case. Swofford was already facing multiple charges, including felony breaking and entering, larceny, possession of stolen property, identity theft and failure to appear in court.
Reports stated that the charges amounted to 14 felony counts, and Swofford was held at the Guilford County Jail on a $26,000 bond.
The student later said she had never previously felt unsafe in the apartment, but the incident changed that completely. She and her roommate eventually relocated, while building management changed the locks.
Despite the investigation, authorities reportedly could not immediately determine exactly how Swofford had gained access to the apartment.
The unsettling case left the students with a difficult reminder: sometimes the things that seem strange or unexplained in your home may have a far more real—and disturbing—explanation than you expect.
North Carolina Student Finds Stranger Hiding in Her Closet Wearing Her Clothes