Police in northeast Philadelphia have discovered what they are calling a "House of Horrors." Apparently, following a dispute between a tenant and landlord, police were called to a Tacony home in which they discovered 4 mentally-disabled individuals shackled in a basement dungeon. Officers made this discovery after hearing a rumbling noise coming from the basement. At first, police thought that the noises might be coming from a dog that was locked up inside the basement. However, upon closer investigation, officers found a small, dark room that in one officer's words looked like a scene from Silence of the Lambs. The individuals in captivity were malnourished, covered in bed sores, and in shackles.
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| Inside the House of Horrors |
So far, police have arrested 4 suspects believed to be behind this "House of Horrors." Local news and detectives are speculating that the suspects may have been held hostage for the past 11 years, during which time the suspects stole their government disability checks.
For the past couple days, I've found myself thinking about this story. From news reports of one disabled person being shackled to a boiler, to others in which those being held captive refer to one of the suspects as "mom," are all extremely disturbing.
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| Seeing this makes me sad |
Violent crimes of all shapes and sizes are hard to stomach. For the past 2.5 years, I've been following a number of different individuals who've been shot in armed robberies, drive-by shootings, wild western-type shootouts, botched attempted murders, street assassinations, and other forms of extreme violence. Despite the horrific details of these and many other violent crimes that are part of my ongoing research, there is something especially repugnant about the House of Horrors story.
I feel a personal connection to the story because I used to teach special education before I went to graduate school. In the summer before I entered my PhD program, I got a long-term substitute teaching job in a 1st and 2nd grade special education class. Most of my students were diagnosed with low-functioning Autism; one student had a particularly severe case of cerebral palsy; and others had milder developmental disorders. To say that this was a challenging job is an understatement. But, there was also something extremely rewarding about the "small victories" I experienced each day with my students. Each day, I found myself humbled and inspired by the kids I worked with. Even though there were lots of stressful moments and even though I spent a lot of time "putting out fires" in the classroom, I loved my time with those kids. They were amazing and taught me so many things. It may sound trite, but I really felt like I grew as a person through this experience and sometimes wonder if I missed my calling.
In any event, as this story unfolds, I find myself hoping that the DA really goes after the suspects in this case. I've read somewhere that the FBI and other law enforcement are hoping to charge suspects with a unique kind of hate crime, which was expanded to include individuals with disability. In the end, I'm not sure how the chips will fall, but I find myself hoping that: a) The truth comes out and we get a sense for how and why these 4 people were held hostage, and b) Those responsible for this are severely punished.
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