Cellar of Horror: The Story of Gary Heidnik

by Ken Englade

Serial killer Gary Heidnik's name will live on in infamy, and his home, 3520 North Marshall Street in Philadelphia, is a house tainted with the memory of unbelievable horrors. What police found there was an incredible nightmare made real. Four young women had been held captive--some for four months--half-naked and chained. They had been tortured, starved, and repeatedly raped. But more grotesque discoveries lay in the kitchen: human limbs frozen, a torso burned to cinders, an empty pot suspiciously scorched...

This is not a story for the faint-hearted. Cellar of Horror is a shocking true account of the self-proclaimed minister with a long history of mental illness, who preyed upon the susceptible and the retarded in a bizarre plan to create his own "baby factory." It is a macabre web spun around money, power, and religion, tangled with courtroom drama and lawyers' tactics, sure to send a chill into your very soul.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime, Horror, Audiobook, Biography, Abuse

277 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Kenneth F. Englade is a New Mexico-based author who has published nine books dealing with high profile trials. His latest book, Meltdown in Haditha: The Killing of 24 Iraqi Civilians by U.S. Marines and the Failure of Military Justice, will be published in 2015 by McFarland & Co. He also published five historical novels dealing with the pre-Civil War West. His books have been published in Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and Canada. He is a veteran journalist who has worked on newspapers and for fourteen years with United Press International, including three years in Asia where he covered the Vietnam War and the fall of Saigon. Beyond Reason, his book about a University of Virginia coed and her German boyfriend who conspired to kill the woman’s parents was a finalist for the Edgar Allan Poe Award. From 2000-2006 he was a public information officer for the Air Force and the Missile Defense Agency. In 2010 he was inducted into the Hall of Fame at the Louisiana State University School of Mass Communications in recognition of his career achievements.

Reviews

[Susan Savidge · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Dad is the arresting officer of this guy. His name is mentioned on the very first page and then a few times throughout it. Caution: If you read it, be prepared to probably have nightmares. It's a true story.

[Rachel Aranda · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a scary thought that this man got away with his crimes for so long and with multiple women. It's terrifying that he was even married and I feel sorry for his children who have to live with his legacy and the women that had the misfortune to encounter him. I liked how well researched the book was as I got a good sense of the man who committed these crimes and what happened when he had you in his grasp. Truly a scary book for how real and under the radar things can pass.

[Benjamin Sobieck · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sure, it's sensational. But sensational can be interesting if the story is true. "Cellar of Horror" tells the story of Philly psychopath Gary Heidnik. He kidnapped, raped, beat, killed, cooked and force fed women chained in his basement.

The first half covers the madman's criminal exploits. Author Ken Englade takes plenty of time depicting the hyper-sensational insanity. It's by far the most interesting portion of the book. But reader beware. You'll have to clench your teeth to keep the vomit down.

The second half involves the trial, and whether Hednik was insane (for death penalty purposes). Englade is a great researcher, but this part dragged for me.

In all, this is a book that exploits the tragedy almost as much Heidnik did to his victims. But given I stayed up late to polish it off within 24 hours of buying it, it's worth checking out.

[Noctvrnal · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book on the case, but not as extensive as it could've been. 2/3 of the book focused on the trial, which is an interesting topic on its own, but very little about Heidnik or his crimes besides the goriest details reviewed in a flash. Much more attention was given to the trial and players there. Not a bad thing if it was balanced enough with earlier history of the case overall. I did enjoy it. Author knows how to keep readers hooked with short, informative chapters summarizing happenings before and during the trial. The book was written before Heidnik was executed so the book lacks information on that altogether, but it doesn't diminish the information given as is.
As for Gary himself - was he mad or bad? I can't tell. This book doesn't provide enough information to form an opinion but author does lean towards his own agenda that I won't bother to discuss here. One thing is for sure - this case is interesting in its own multiple ways and needs more extensive study than this book alone.
A good read, but could've been so much better.

[Hester · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is the story of the sick fuck who inspired the basement pit in Silence of the Lambs. Gary Heidnik kidnapped six women, raped and beat and imprisoned them. His goal was to impregnate the women and then raise a family in his basement.

Englade covers Heidnik's crimes but he fails in creating a full profile of Heidnik quickly glossing over his childhood and claims of physical abuse at the hands of his father his mother's alcoholism and his multiple hospitalizations for mental illness. On that note, I would like to point out Englade comes off as insensitive dick, he uses terms like nut job to describe Heidnik's psychiatric condition.

After Heidnik's arrest this book turns into a boring courtroom procedural which makes this book feel longer than it actually is, at two hundred seventy-seven pages this should be a quick read, even for someone who reads as slow as I do, but Englade includes unnecessary courtroom details such as how hot the courtroom was and what the jurors were wearing, these details put me to sleep.

Called into question is that of victim Josefina Rivera's role in the death of another victim and her treatment of her fellow captives. Was Rivera truly an accomplice to murder and torture? If so was it because she grew sympathetic to Heidnik or was it a desperate attempt at appeasement to save her life? How desperate does one have to be to want to survive to live out another day of torture, rape and being forced fed human flesh?

So was Heidnik insane or did he know right from wrong? I would say yes to both, of course you have to be mentally ill to kidnap six women and turn them into unwilling sex slaves to fulfill your personal goal of having a large family, but at the same time you can still know right from wrong. Heidnik did exhibit behavior of knowing what he was doing was wrong by disposing of a dead body by dismemberment and cooking some of the body parts to destroy physical evidence, he blasted a radio at full volume to cover up any cries for help that his neighbors might hear, he forced a victim (a woman that he knew for years) to write a letter to her family that she went to New York to throw them off of his trail and he mostly chose women who were mentally handicapped.

Remember that stranger = danger.

[♥ Marlene♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read this book twice. Last night I finished it for the second time. It is such a weird crazy story that when I was reading Slave Girls by Wensley Clarkson and he had a chapter omitted to this story I had to go downstairs and find this book again.

How he set those women against each other. He made Rivera kill the other girl but thanks to her they were also saved.
Have to see if Gary heidnik is still alive.

[Beth Morvant · Rating 3 out of 5]

For true crime, my rating is SOLELY on how the book was written & nothing pertaining to the case or individuals.


But damn, what a horrifying case this was.

[Sou · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a well written book! I need to do more thorough research about some of the things stated here as I’ve been reading somethings that don’t add up and right now I am not sure! I kept thinking and thinking was Gary Heidnik sane or insane? Did he know right from wrong during committing his murders? So many things could’ve prevented this tragedy!! I think a lot of people were bored during the second half of the book but for me the trial was very crucial! All the technicalities hold a lot of meaning! Even the selection of jurors was relevant! I definitely get why this part could drag for some but for me it was an eye opener! My heart goes for all the victims and I definitely think that Josefina Rivera did what she had to do to survive! This woman’s courage is outstanding! She could’ve saved herself but she had to make sure the others are safe as well! A phenomenal stoic woman! She has a book called Cellar Girl but I feel it’ll be too traumatizing for me! I can’t begin to fathom the things these ladies had to endure and the trauma they have to live with! I always have this unrealistic hope that books like this could somehow help stop the Gary Heidniks, the Jeffrey Dahmers, the John Wayne Gacys, the Ted Bundys and many others like them. As Ted Bundy once said serial killers are sons and husbands and teachers! They’re not so far away as we might think!

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gary Heidnik didn't just kidnap, torture, and murder women in the basement of his house of horrors in Philadelphia — he got one of his victims to help.

21 TIMES this man was released from psychiatric care even when he begged to stay. 🤬 This book, as many true crime books do, got my emotions flowing.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Our broken ass system infuriates me. A man who so clearly needed care and treatment was kicked out time and time again and due to that many paid the price with their lives.

I was not familiar with this case but my husband found the audio book for me and hello, Cellar of horrors? Not for the faint of heart? SOLD.

It truly isn’t though. If you are triggered by sex crimes DO NOT READ THIS. And it would turn the stomach of many. This man may have been psychologically ill but he did not belong on the street. It’s really hard to believe he could not know what he was doing was wrong. (And don’t preach psych to me that was my major in college). His crimes were horrendous and I feel for the victims and their families.

This one will stay with me for a long time. Excellently done as an audio book.

[Jeannie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Horrible crime that scared the hell out of me but as for his writing, well it left something to be desired. The crime itself kept me interested but I felt the book drug on for too long. Kinda like....let me outta here, tell me the ending.

[Clued-in With A Book (Elvina Ulrich) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Case: Gary Heidnik kidnapped, tortured, and sexually assaulted six women from 1986-1987 in North Philadelphia. He held them captive for months in a self-dug pit on his basement floor where he eventually murdered two of these women. He was later apprehended in 1987, charged, convicted, and executed by lethal injection in 1999.

My thoughts: This book told an in-depth story - the life and crimes of Heidnik. I am not going to lie - it was really hard to read as there were a lot of graphic details due to the nature of his crimes. There are a lot of chapters in this book, written in a concise, informative, and engaging way, without over-sensationalizing the case.

The trial part was intense and interesting as his defense lawyer attempted to prove he was legally insane. I ended up re-learning quite a bit about it and also about diminished responsibility, which I have forgotten from my criminal law class many years ago!

I appreciated that the author also shares what happened to the surviving victims of Heidnik. It was both heartbreaking and inspiring as they need to rebuild their lives after the trauma they went through.

Overall, this is definitely the book I'd recommend if you want to learn more about this case. It is well-written and well-researched. But I have to warn you - this book does not shy away from gory details. It is not for the faint of heart.

[Fishface · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read about a hideous, hideous case. Full of troubling questions that apparently never got answered. If you want a glimpse at the depths of human depravity, check this one out. I was bothered that there was photo after photo after photo of the criminal and not one of the victims, the survivors or their families.

[Ain Ashura · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

[Jody Schnurrenberger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary of this Book...
Cellar of Horror: The Story of Gary Heidnik by Ken Englade is a disturbing look inside the life and crimes of one of our nation's most disturbing cases of kidnapping, rape, torture, and murder. With the intent of kidnapping ten women to impregnate them and have a family, Heidnik was caught after kidnapping six women, two of whom were killed before rescue. To further illustrate his derangement, Heidnik fed a mixture of dog food and one of the murder victims to his other kidnap victims. He was eventually convicted of his crimes (and put to death by the state of Pennsylvania by lethal injection on July 6, 1999--That part not being covered by the book). The book takes you through much of his life before the crimes and continues through his conviction. It also includes botched opportunities to discover his victims, pretrial events, and some of the odd and prejudicial rulings of the judge presiding over his case.

This type of Book is good for...
This book is good for anyone interested in true crime or books about the criminally insane. But the reader should be aware that some of the contents are disturbing, though Englade doesn't go into obviously unnecessary detail.

I especially liked...
I especially liked the little details Englade gave which brought about a feeling of being there. For example, he described Heidnik's kitchen walls as being "...half covered with pennies which had been meticulously glued in place" (Englade, 13) and his hallway walls as "...partially papered with one- and five-dollar bills." (Englade, 14)

I didn't like...
The title, "Cellar of Horror" seems a bit cheesy to me, though it's certainly an accurate depiction.
When I finished reading this Book I wanted to...
I want to read more about Gary Heidnik and look for other things written by Ken Englade.

This Book made me feel...
This book made me feel shocked at human depravity and sad at the repeated failings of humans and systems.

The author of this Book...
Ken Englade did an excellent job of showing us a well-rounded view of Heidnik without boring us, alternating early chapters between Heinik before and during the criminal events for the first third of the book, then reading chronologically throughout the rest with the second third describing pretrial events and jury selection and the final third of the book covering the trial. There is an epilogue that covers the aftermath.

I recommend this Book because...
I'd recommend this book because it's an interesting account of some horrific crimes. This isn't for the feint of heart, but it's a fascinating, though disturbing, read.

[Matt · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first half of the book discussing this wacko's crimes and long history of schizophrenia was interesting. However the 2nd half dicussing the trial was very boring. All in all I think this had the ability to be an interesting book. The story is just not told very well.

[Amber Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

wish i could give it an in between rating, a 3.5 or something like that. crazy to read about something that happened so close to my home i just feel like i could have done without so much in depth trial info and a little more on the man and his crimes.

[Stefanie Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gary Heidnik was born in Eastlake, Ohio, in 1943. His parents divorced in 1946, and after spending some time with his mother, he was sent to live with his father and stepmother. He claimed that his father abused him, but his father denied doing any such thing. He was a good student, but was not well liked by his classmates. He was made fun of for having a weird shaped head and being weird in general, and he was pretty hateful when people tried to talk to him. He enrolled in a military school, but dropped out and enlisted into the Army. He did very well with his training, but was honorably discharged after a short time after being diagnosed with schizoid personality disorder. After that, he was in and out of psychiatric hospitals due to multiple suicide attempts and mental health crisis. Somehow, he wound up married to a woman from the Philippines that he met through a matchmaking service. (Which he should have never been selected for, because as much as I want to move myself out of the South in this circus of horrors for women's rights and lack of education, I would not want to marry someone like this to do so.) What is even worse, is this man procreated and had living children.

Heidnik began racking up a series of charges for his criminal record, beginning in 1976. Aggravated assault, deviant sexual practices, kidnapping, rape, etc. He began abducting women, keeping them in his basement, assaulting them and killing them. I will not go into a bunch of details here, because reading them and learning how truly disturbed this guy was was an essential part of the book. He did some really gruesome things to the women he abducted. Discovery of his crimes and how he was caught was worthy of being on World's Dumbest Criminals, if there ever was an example.

Some of the things in this book seemed very familiar to me, but I had never heard about this man. Turns out, he was one of the serial killers that they based the weirdo from Silence of the Lambs on. I have read a couple of books by this author, and I have no complaints over the writing style or the research put into the books. They are well written and informative. I think I have two more by this author I have left to read, and I am looking forward to those. If you are interested in this book, it is currently available on Audible Plus. This was a wild ride for waiting in the school pickup line this week.

[Richard K. Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being someone who normally would not read this kind of TRUE crime because it brings back memories of being a child victim of sexual violence, this book is something that I will NEVER forget. And neither will you. WARNING: You THINK Dahmer and Ed Gein were bad......they were NOTHING compared to Gary Heidnik.

This is an excursion into the crimes of one of the most disturbing and disgusting people alive, and there were times where I hesitated about whether or not I wanted to finish it; however, it becomes so inclusive in its narration, that you almost feel like you are there!. Gary Heidnik kidnapped, tortured raped and ATE his victims, and what the judicial system decide to do with him in the end disgusted me! I remember when this crime took place and how it was more disturbing than the Manson murders, and it made me think twice about going anywhere that was considered 'a bad area, or place'. This is NOT for the weak or those who are easily upset by violence.....because the violence in this is REAL and DID happen!. Can't say I did not warn you.

I would only recommend this to those who are fascinated by what makes a person do this.
5 Stars

[Jeanne Andersen · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book covers the case in great detail, but some basic information about the initial encounter is inaccurate. I know this for a fact because I know the first responding officer and given some of her horrendous experiences with the Philadelphia Police Department, I suspect that the author did not receive accurate information from the police.

In addition, some of the language is unprofessional and some of the author's opinions seem to be grounded based on his ignorance of the rules of evidence.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very quick read about the gruesome crimes of Gary Heidnik. I continue to be amazed at what people are capable of even when there is debate about their sanity. At times this book was repetitive and the majority of the book focused on the daily proceedings of Heidnik's trial which were a bit boring. After finishing this, I wanted to know what happened to Gary Heidnik. In case any of you are wondering too, he died by lethal injection in 1999.

[Lexi Mag · Rating 4 out of 5]

Duuuuuuuuude. This book. So well written. The subject matter was horrific, but the author did a good job not going to far into the details. He didn't overwrite it or make it too gory just because he could. Very well done.

[Katharine Drumm · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very informative read as our second true crime book club book. Very suspenseful loaded with details. Easy to read and I liked that the criminal was from philly so it was relatable content.

[Brenda Motta · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5 ⭐

[Aimee Massey · Rating 3 out of 5]

The portion of the book dealing with the trial was somewhat boring compared to the first part, but the book overall is so short that the boring section didn't feel too dragged-out to me. But then, I'm a fast reader anyway.
I remember seeing this case on the news at the time it happened, in 1987, and it scared me to death at the time.
I was most interested in the thought processes of Josefina Rivera, who was Heidnik's first captive and party to the abuse and murder of the others; she even helped him acquire his final captive, just a day or so before she herself escaped and summoned help.
My take on Rivera is that she was easily the smartest of Heidnik's victims, most of whom were mentally deficient to one degree or another. She was also streetwise, and I believe that rather than actually sympathizing with Heidnik and falling in with his bizarre line of thinking, she was playing him as much as he played the others; she worked hard to earn his trust, and sometimes that meant mistreating her fellow captives, who were unable to fully understand why she was doing it and must have genuinely believed she had turned against them and was a full supporter of Heidnik.
Rivera must have known that she would only have one chance to escape and so she watched carefully for it, biding her time and working her way into her abductor's confidence until he allowed her to leave the house on her own for a short time. I believe firmly that if she had not been able to do all this, all of them would have eventually been killed. She displays an almost ruthless survival instinct that is totally missing in the accounts of the captivity and rescue of people like Jaycee Dugard, Elizabeth Smart and Michelle Knight. Nobody rescued Josefina; she rescued herself, and in so doing, saved the lives of three others.

[Jesse · Rating 3 out of 5]

As I sit here at my desk with my feet up pondering the life and exploits of Gary hiednik that were put on display in this book I find myself wondering why I didn't like it more. I'm a huge true crime fan and this book showed so much promise. I was so excited to read it and for the first 1/3 of the book, I was glued to it. Then he was arrested and the long boring trial portion of the book began. They replayed every interesting detail until it was no longer interesting. Gary was a very interesting person. Smart on the business end of things but really dumb on the killing and kidnapping side of it. I enjoyed the parts where they tried to delve into the psychology of it. There's better true crime out there and there's worse. It's worth a read.

[Jazmine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I knew nothing about Gary Heidnik coming into this so I learned quite a bit. The first half of this book is about his crimes and what happened in that basement and a little backstory about his life. It's definitely the most interesting part of the book.

The second half of the book is about his trial and trying to decide if he's mentally insane and capable of standing trial. This part really dragged for me.

The research that Ken Englande put into this is obvious but I found myself skimming through the the last of the book. I wish Goodreads would do half stars cause this was a 3.5 star read for me.

[Terry Cornell · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read. Typical true crime format, the first half of the book covers the actual crimes and background of Gary Heidnik who was tried for kidnapping and murdering women he kept in his cellar. The second half deals with the court trial, and aftermath. Englade tells an informative and interesting story without getting overly wordy. Some authors of this genre seem to think that a high number of pages is better than being concise. What is a little different about this case, was the argument over whether the jury would find Heidnik insane, or basically a high IQ mentally off manipulator.

[Nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love true crime stories. This was special (and scary!) because it happened kinda locally to me. Real serial killer stories are appalling and page turners all at once. Gary Heidnik was a seriously derranged man whom slipped through the justice systems hands too many times before he was caught. The author had some tongue-in-cheekiness, but since the story itself is so horrid in nature, it wasnt so bad. Read only if you can handle the graphic nature of his crimes. It was not easy for me.

[Misty Fogg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can only use Amy Poehler's term "tragedy porn" to discuss this book. I am captivated by tragedy porn and this book fed that beast.

The book is written a little informally about the case as it is not always clear if it is a fact or more of the author's opinion. The case is extensively catalogued from capture through the trial and has plenty of background as well. All anyone really needs to know is it is a horrific story. Truly horrific.

[Tera (adventuresbetweenpages) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yes this guy was sick, it was terrible what he did. I found the book lacking. It jumped around a lot in the beginning. From the present to the past and back. It did that lot. It made it hard to read. I would love to read more about this guy so I might find a different book.