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Inside the House of Heidnik
Two decades ago, Philadelphia was introduced to its most notorious criminal — an eccentric who gruesomely tortured six women in his basement. On the 20th anniversary, the question still lingers: Was Gary Heidnik insane … or just evil?
By Victor Fiorillo
- Heidnik's 1987 mug shot
Philadelphia was still reeling from 1985’s MOVE disaster when 43-year-old Gary Heidnik became our Ted Bundy, with his own brand of horror that included rape, torture, and rumors of cannibalism. His neighbors and friends thought Heidnik — whose IQ was 148 — was an eccentric oddball, but certainly didn’t consider him capable of the gruesome evil that played out for months in his North Philadelphia cellar. When the case came to trial before then-Judge Lynne Abraham, a young, publicity-hungry Chuck Peruto tried to convince a jury — and the country — that Heidnik was insane and therefore not responsible for his crimes. On the 20th anniversary of the case, questions about Heidnik’s sanity and even his intent remain. Based on interviews, police reports and court transcripts, this is the story of Gary Heidnik, in the words of the victims, the lawyers, the friends and neighbors — the people who knew him best.
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