One of the four mentally disabled adults authorities said were locked in a Philadelphia basement has been identified as a Norfolk, Va. resident.
Last week, a landlord discovered the four weak and malnourished victims locked behind a steel door in the basement of a northeast Philadelphia apartment. Authorities believe the four were being held captive in a fraud scheme to steal the victim's Social Security checks.
The family of Norfolk man Herbert Knowles, age 40, says he has been missing for three years. His relatives told News4's sister station WAVY that he disappeared after moving in with his girlfriend and her mother.
Knowles was found in the cramped sub-basement of a Philadelphia apartment building, held with three other in a room too small for an adult to stand up in. One person had been chained to a boiler. After an initial investigation, police believe the four had been held there between 1 to 2 weeks.
Law enforcement identified the other victims as 41-year-old Derwin McLemire of Florida, 29-year-old Tamara Breeden and 31-year-old Edwin Sanabria, both from Philadelphia.
Three have been charged with kidnapping and false imprisonment: a homeless man, 49-year-old Eddie Wright, and Linda Ann Weston, 51 and Gregory Thomas, 47, both of Philadelphia.
NBC10 in Philadelphia reports that one of the suspects, Linda Ann Weston, has a previous conviction for starving a man to death 30 years ago.
