Episode 9: 2314 North 10th Street

Philadelphia, 1986.
A small, worn rowhouse in the city’s north end became a personal hell for six women.
They were lured in with promises of warmth, safety, and food.
Instead, they were chained to pipes, held in a pit dug into the basement floor, and subjected to systematic starvation, torture, and dehumanization by a man who believed he was building a family.

His name was Gary Heidnik — a self-proclaimed pastor, stock market millionaire, and deeply disturbed manipulator who used religion and control as tools of domination. He didn’t act impulsively. He built a system. He tracked meals, punishments, compliance. And in his mind, it all served a higher purpose.

This episode follows the full arc of the case: from Heidnik’s troubled childhood and early military discharge, through his calculated abductions, the chilling design of the basement prison, and the psychological techniques he used to turn suffering into order. We also trace the role of survivor Josefina Rivera, whose long con from inside the basement became the key to exposing Heidnik’s crimes and rescuing the other women. Her voice didn’t just survive — it shattered the silence.

The house still stands. The basement has been sealed.
But the echoes remain.

📍 Featured Address: 2314 North 10th Street, Philadelphia, PA
⚠️ Content Warning: Graphic descriptions of captivity, torture, sexual assault, and psychological abuse. Listener discretion is strongly advised.