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Prosecutors recharge suspect in Philly dungeon case

By Sarah Hoye, CNN
updated 2:32 PM EST, Thu December 22, 2011
A judge this week that he believed Eddie Wright had been victimized and shouldn't be charged.
A judge this week that he believed Eddie Wright had been victimized and shouldn't be charged.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • Prosecutors have re-filed charges against Eddie Wright
  • A judge had said he could not "in good conscience" send Wright to trial
  • Prosecutors will present evidence before a new judge
  • The case involves four disabled adults held captive in a sub-basement

Philadelphia (CNN) -- Prosecutors re-filed charges against one of suspects Thursday in the case of four disabled adults held captive in the sub-basement of an apartment building.

Eddie Wright, 50, is once again facing aggravated assault, kidnapping, unlawful restraint, reckless endangerment, false imprisonment, terroristic threats, and stalking charges, according to the Philadelphia District Attorney's office.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Wright, who is currently in custody, for January 20, 2012.

On Tuesday, Judge Patrick Dugan had dismissed charges against Wright, citing his belief that Linda Weston, who police have described as the ringleader of an alleged fraud and abuse scheme, may have also victimized him.

Dugan said he could not "in good conscience" send Wright to trial.

Prosecutors will present evidence and witnesses for a second time in front of a new judge in efforts to have Wright ordered to stand trial.

"He himself was held by Linda Weston," said Louis D'Onofrio, Wright's attorney, after Tuesday's hearing, adding that Wright could be released within a day after the judge's ruling.

On Thursday, D'Onofrio said, "I am ready to ask the court again to dismiss the charges."

He noted in a statement that the judge had found Wright was also held captive by Weston, who "stole his money and mistreated him."

The case involves four mentally disabled adults held captive -- Edwin Sanabria, Herbert Knowles, Tamara Breeden and Derwin McLemire -- who were found in October locked in the sub-basement room with no food and only a bucket for a toilet.

The pitch-black, 13-by-7 foot space housed what police described as a former boiler used to heat the building. A penetrating stench of urine and feces still hung in the chamber days after the discovery. McLemire had been chained to the boiler, police said.

Judge Dugan heard testimony from multiple witnesses during a two-day preliminary, which began Monday, before ordering Weston, 51, Gregory Thomas, 47, and Jean McIntosh, 32, to stand trial.

Beatrice Weston, the 20-year-old niece of Linda Weston, testified that beginning when she was age 10 she was imprisoned, beaten and starved by her aunt and cousin, McIntosh, who also forced her into prostitution.

Edwin Sanabria, 31 -- who was rescued from the basement along with Knowles, Breeden and McLemire -- testified he was once kept in a closet that was nailed shut and that he did not receive his Social Security checks once he began living with Linda Weston in 2001.

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