Civil suit filed in Philly basement captive case

The niece of a woman accused of imprisoning mentally disabled captives in a benefits fraud scheme is suing her aunt and the City of Philadelphia, claiming she suffered horrific abuse because she was placed into her aunt’s custody.

Beatrice Weston filed suit Monday against Linda Ann Weston, the city and two employees over her 2002 placement into Linda Weston’s custody.
The suit alleges the city failed to tell a judge Linda Weston was previously convicted of murder in the beating and starvation death of her sister’s boyfriend.

Linda Weston was charged last October after a landlord discovered four mentally disabled adults locked in the dank boiler room of a northeast Philadelphia apartment building. Beatrice Weston testified at a pretrial hearing that her aunt abused her and forced her into prostitution.