Ariel Castro appears for his initial court appearance in Cleveland, Ohio
(Photo Credit: John Gress | Corbis via Getty Images)
Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of assault. Reader discretion is advised.
Ariel Castro, who was responsible for the Cleveland kidnappings, pleaded guilty to 937 counts of kidnapping, rape, and aggravated murder. He was then sentenced to life plus 1000 years in prison on August 1, 2013. Castro was caught after three women, whom he was holding hostage for around a decade in his Cleveland home, managed to escape and reported him to the police, per ABC News.
His first known victim was Michelle Knight, who was 21 years old and a mother at the time of her abduction. People Magazine reported that Knight now identifies as Lily Rose Lee. On August 22, 2002, Castro reportedly offered her a ride when she was late for an appointment with a social worker. She was acquainted with one of his daughters and accepted the ride, after which he took her to his residence and held her there for nearly 11 years until May 6, 2013.
Amanda Berry, then 16, was walking home from work when Ariel Castro offered her a ride. She also knew one of his daughters and accepted the ride before informing her sister about it. However, no one heard from Berry for the following ten years. An unknown male allegedly called Berry’s mother from her cell phone and informed her that she was with him and would return in a few days.
The outlet also noted that Gina DeJesus, the youngest of Castro’s three victims, was kidnapped by him when she was returning home from school on April 4, 2004. Even DeJesus was acquainted with one of the man’s daughters, Arlene, and accepted a ride from him.
How did Ariel Castro die?
CNN reported that Ariel Castro died by suicide in his prison cell on September 3, 2013. He was found hanged with a bedsheet at the Correctional Reception Center in Orient. He was rushed to the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and was pronounced dead at 10:52 p.m.
Castro’s victims were held at his residence until May 6, 2013, when Berry escaped from the house and called authorities. They were chained, starved, and sexually assaulted over their years in captivity. Lee reportedly became pregnant and miscarried five times after Ariel Castro physically abused her to abort the child. He occasionally took Jocelyn, Berry’s daughter, out while the three women remained chained.
People Magazine reported that Ariel Castro was caught after Berry noticed that he had left her bedroom door unlocked. The front door was wired with an alarm. However, she managed to squeeze an arm through the opening. This brought attention to a neighbor, Charles Ramsey, who helped her kick the door open. She got out with her daughter Jocelyn, whom she gave birth to during her captivity, and called 911 with Ramsey’s help.
The police then rescued Castro’s two other victims from his house. The women were reunited with their families. Berry’s mother had died from a heart attack by then, but she was welcomed home by her sister. Since then, the three survivors have made public appearances and spoken about their experiences.
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