He had been living for more than two years in a huge luxury home near Nashville, even though he was not the owner. The property had become caught up in a complicated real estate dispute after a foreclosure and transfers through different financial institutions.
The man, identified as Jude Pischke, had even paid overdue property taxes on the home while staying there with other people. Police had previously gone to the location and, according to WTVF’s investigation, found a stolen vehicle on the property.
But the most bizarre moment occurred when a television crew arrived to investigate who was occupying the house. Pischke came out to confront them and grabbed an axe, advancing toward the journalists while demanding that they leave.
The crew had to back away and call the police. Pischke was ultimately arrested and faced three counts of aggravated assault.
Most surreal of all, after posting bail, he returned to the same house.
Finally, following the journalistic investigation, one of the entities linked to the property announced that it would begin the process of recovering the home.
A multimillion-dollar house, more than two years of squatting, a stolen vehicle, and a man confronting a television crew with an axe: the case seemed straight out of a movie, but it really happened in Tennessee.