'Blood-curdling scream' wakes up Philadelphia neighborhood; residents demand answers

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Residents in a South Philadelphia neighborhood tell our Investigative Team they were startled awake by loud screams early Monday morning.

The screams, they said, created panic and concern.

In the aftermath, the residents said they were angry after learning the screams were part of a test conducted in a civil case against the City of Philadelphia.

"It was so upsetting, like very loud shrieking screams," said Rachel Robbins of South Philadelphia.

"It was this blood-curdling scream, and it was a series of four or five screams," added Allison Sacks a neighbor.

"How long did it last?" asked Action News' Chad Pradelli.

"A good hour," Sacks replied.

The city solicitor's office told Action News those screams were part of a sound test as part of discovery in the civil case of Termaine Hicks.

Hicks was convicted of rape at 15th and Mifflin streets back in 2001. He served 19 years in prison until a judge vacated his conviction at the request of the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office in 2020.

DNA evidence concluded Hicks was not the rapist and there were questions about whether evidence had been planted.

"I'm upset with the attorney who requested it and not take into the consideration of the impact it would have," said Sacks.

After getting complaints from Robbins and others, the federal judge on the case demanded answers.

"There is such a long list of reasons it's unethical," added Robbins.

In a statement to Action News, the city solicitor's office -- which had an attorney on-site during the sound test -- said if it knew the sound test would involve simulated screams, it would have sought a court order to prevent it.

It added that "the City had limited control over and advanced knowledge of the conditions of the testing."

It also said that "city attorneys became aware of the use of simulated screaming sounds and did not intervene because a necessary court order would not have been able to be obtained at the early morning hour."

The New York law firm, Neufeld Scheck Brustin Hoffmann & Freudenberger, LLP, which represents Hicks, also released a statement apologizing to residents:

"We conducted a test in connection with an important civil rights case and did not intend to cause harm to anybody. We understand why residents are upset, and we want to sincerely apologize to the community, and anybody affected. We feel terrible about the negative impact on the community. We cannot talk with more specificity about the details given ongoing litigation."

"I feel for the plaintiff in this case," said Sacks. "I think there are other ways to prove the case."

And the federal judge overseeing the case also issued an order Tuesday after receiving numerous letters from neighbors. In the order, he demanded the plaintiff's attorneys show cause why it needed the scream test conducted and should not be required to apologize to residents.