MICHELLE KNIGHT - 20 yo - (2000) - AMANDA BERRY - 17 yo - (2003) - GINA DEJESUS - 14 yo - (2004) / Convicted: Ariel Castro (suicide)- Cleveland, OH :

Cleveland rape, kidnapping suspect Ariel Castro pleads not guilty to 329-count indictment

CLEVELAND - Attorneys for Ariel Castro, the Cleveland man accused of holding three women captive in his home for nearly decade, entered a not guilty plea for their client Wednesday morning.
Castro held his head down during the brief arraignment before Judge Deena Calabrese in Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas.
A pre-trial is scheduled for June 19 at 9 a.m.
The 52-year-old has been charged with 329 counts, including two counts of aggravated murder for purposely causing the termination of a pregnancy. His other charges include 139 counts of rape and 177 counts of kidnapping in the disappearances of Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight.
Castro's first court appearance came in May, where his bond was set at $8 million. Authorities arrested him on May 6 after the three women and Berry's daughter were rescued from the home on Seymour Avenue.
Jim Wooley, attorney for Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus, and speaking on behalf of the third survivor, Michelle Knight, issued this statement:

"We understand the legal process needs to run its course. That said, days like today are not easy. We are hopeful for a just and prompt resolution. We have great faith in the prosecutor’s office and the court."

http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/local_news/cleveland_metro/Attorneys-for-Cleveland-rape-kidnapping-suspect-Ariel-Castro-enter-not-guilty-plea

Why does he even have a bond.  People like this should never have access to bail.  There might be some sick rich person bail them out.  He should never get out of prison.  William

You're so right William.  What a nerve, pleading not guilty.  Bet his victims are sick to their stomachs.  i know i am.

The only good thing about this whole case (legal that is) is that Ohio does have the death penalty and does use it.  William

Cleveland rape, kidnapping suspect Ariel Castro pleads not guilty to 329-count indictment

• By: THOMAS J. SHEERAN Associated Press
  
  
  

CLEVELAND - A man accused of holding three women captive in his home for about a decade pleaded not guilty Wednesday, and the defense hinted that a trial can be avoided with a plea if he escapes the death penalty.
Attorney Craig Weintraub addressed the death penalty issue after his client, 52-year-old Ariel Castro, pleaded not guilty to hundreds of charges including rape and kidnapping.
Castro, dressed in an orange jail outfit with his hands and ankles shackled, kept his chin tucked on his chest through the brief court appearance. He didn't speak or glance at his two attorneys standing by his side.
Weintraub said the defense was working to avoid an "unnecessary trial" involving the death penalty. Charges he faces involving an alleged forced miscarriage don't include death penalty specifications, but the prosecutor says that's under review.
Joe Frolik, spokesman for Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Tim McGinty, said the defense remarks were under review.
The 329-count indictment returned Friday covered only the period from August 2002, when the first of the women disappeared, to February 2007. More charges could be filed.
A statement issued on behalf of the women said days like the arraignment "are not easy" and added: "We are hopeful for a just and prompt resolution. We have great faith in the prosecutor's office and the court."
The grand jury charged Castro with two counts of aggravated murder related to one act, saying he purposely caused the unlawful termination of one of the women's pregnancies. He also was indicted on 139 counts of rape, 177 counts of kidnapping, seven counts of gross sexual imposition, three counts of felonious assault and one count of possession of criminal tools.
News that the women had been found alive electrified the Cleveland area, where two of the victims were household names after years of searches, publicity and vigils. But elation soon turned to shock as allegations about their treatment began to emerge.
The indictment alleges Castro repeatedly restrained the women, sometimes chaining them to a pole in a basement, to a bedroom heater or inside a van. It says one of the women tried to escape and he assaulted her with a vacuum cord around her neck.
Later, he moved them to upstairs rooms where they were kept as virtual prisoners, according to investigators.
All the while, Castro continued driving a school bus and playing bass in local bands, with fellow musicians saying they never suspected a thing. He was fired as a bus driver last fall after leaving his bus unattended for several hours.
Castro has been held on $8 million bail. Last week he was taken off suicide prevention watch in jail. Cuyahoga County jail logs show him spending most of his time sleeping, lying on his bunk, watching TV and occasionally drawing.
Castro was arrested May 6, shortly after one of the women broke through a door and yelled to neighbors for help.
She told a police dispatcher in a dramatic police call: "Help me. I'm Amanda Berry. I've been kidnapped, and I've been missing for 10 years, and I'm, I'm here, I'm free now."
The women -- Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight -- disappeared separately between 2002 and 2004, when they were 14, 16 and 20 years old. Each said they had accepted a ride from Castro, who remained friends with DeJesus' family and even attended vigils over the years marking her disappearance.
The women haven't spoken publicly since their rescue.
Berry, 27, told officers that she was forced to give birth in a plastic pool in the house so it would be easier to clean up. Berry said she, her baby and the two other women rescued with her had never been to a doctor during their captivity.
Knight, 32, said her five pregnancies ended after Castro starved her for at least two weeks and "repeatedly punched her in the stomach until she miscarried," authorities said.
She also said Castro forced her to deliver Berry's baby under threat of death if the baby died. She said that when the newborn stopped breathing, she revived her through mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
The picture of Castro as a friendly musician began to erode soon after the women were freed, as family members told of a man who terrorized his common-law wife, beating her and locking her in an apartment and the same house where the women were later kept.
Castro's two brothers were arrested the same day but were released at a hearing a few days later after it was determined they weren't aware of the activities their brother is accused of. They denounced him in later interviews.
The Associated Press does not usually identify people who may be victims of sexual assault, but the names of the three women were widely circulated by their families, friends and law enforcement authorities for years during their disappearances and after they were found
Jim Wooley, attorney for Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus, and speaking on behalf of the third survivor, Michelle Knight, issued this statement:

"We understand the legal process needs to run its course.


Read more: http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/local_news/cleveland_metro/Attorneys-for-Cleveland-rape-kidnapping-suspect-Ariel-Castro-enter-not-guilty-plea#ixzz2W6TvKzdl

Sounds like he'll try and get off the death penalty.  Too bad.  The death penalty is final.  He can't escape and harm girls again if he's dead.  William

Suspected kidnapper Ariel Castro back in court
CLEVELAND, OH (WOIO) -
With his head hanging down, suspected kidnapper Ariel Castro went before a judge on Wednesday morning.
Castro refused to make eye contact with anyone, but he did answer the judge when questioned. He proved a simple answer of 'yes' when asked normal questions about the proceedings. Castro also said he has no questions for the court.
Defense attorneys entered a plea of not guilty for Castro earlier this month on nearly 330 charges, including murder. They said in court on Wednesday that they hope to visit Castro's Seymour Avenue home in the near future.
Castro is accused of holding Amanda Berry, Michelle Knight and Gina DeJesus captive in his Cleveland house for years before they were rescued on May 6.
Berry gave birth to his daughter while in captivity.
Castro's defense attorneys said they are willing to plead guilty to all the charges, but murder. They are hoping the prosecutors will drop the murder charges so they can avoid a lengthy trial and spare the women from testifying.
The judge made sure to tell the prosecutors and Castro's defense team that any potential plea deals must be written out in full first.
Castro remains jailed on $8M.
His next court date is slated for June 26 at 8:45 a.m. Right now, his trial date is set for August 4, but that should change after Castro waives his right to a speedy trial.

http://www.19actionnews.com/story/22629727/suspected-kidnapper-ariel-castro-back-in-court

Figures the lawyers would try and get him off the death penalty.  What about the rights of that unborn little angel that he beat to death.  At least one that we know, maybe more.  William

This animal needs to die.

Competency evaluation ordered for Ariel Castro
Posted: Jun 26, 2013 5:31 AM CDT

CLEVELAND, OH (WOIO) -
The Cleveland man suspected of kidnapping three women and holding them captive for years inside his west side home was back in court on Wednesday.
As he has in previous court appearances, Ariel Castro hung his head and refused to make eye contact with anyone. Castro is facing nearly 330 charges, including murder.

In court on Wednesday, Judge Russo ordered a competency evaluation for Castro. He will be referred to the court psychiatrist to make sure he understands the proceedings. Results will be back in 10 days.

Judge Russo asked Castro if he understood the need for a competency test. He replied, "Yes, I do."

Castro is accused of holding Amanda Berry, Michelle Knight and Gina DeJesus captive in his Seymour Avenue house for years before they were rescued on May 6.

Berry gave birth to his daughter while in captivity.

Castro's defense attorneys said they are willing to plead guilty to all the charges, but murder. They are hoping the prosecutors will drop the murder charges so they can avoid a lengthy trial and spare the women from testifying.

Castro remains jailed on $8M.

Right now, his trial date is set for August 4, but that should change after Castro waives his right to a speedy trial.

Castro's next court date has been set for Wednesday, July 3, at 8:30 a.m.

http://www.19actionnews.com/story/22689530/competency-evaluation-ordered-for-ariel-castro

They'll try anything to get him off the death penalty.  I hope they don't win that part of it.  Ohio does have and does use the death penalty.  William

He isn't crazy, he's evil.

twinkletoes wrote:He isn't crazy, he's evil.

You got that right. The lawyers will use any tricks to get him off. Just like Casey.
He should be executed for his crimes after castration.

My favorite is castration by a million paper cuts (or whatever it takes) then hung by piano wire.

Only the death penalty protects other women and girls from this monster.

Right now some one could bail him out and he could escape or rape again. There should be NO bail for him.

William

Additional charges in works for Cleveland kidnapping suspect Ariel Castro
CLEVELAND - Cleveland kidnapping suspect Ariel Castro is likely to face additional criminal charges including the death penalty as prosecutor prepare a superseding indictment.

Castro appeared in a Cuyahoga County courtroom Wednesday on rape, kidnapping and aggravated murder charges related to the 10-year ordeal of three Cleveland women who escaped from his Seymour Avenue home last May.

Prosecutors declined comment on when additional charges would be filed, but they are likely to include criminal charges covering the period from March 2007 through May 2013.

Castro has already been charged with 329 counts covering Aug. 22, 2002 through Feb., 28, 2007.

Chief among new criminal charges would be the so-called "death penalty specification."

Under Ohio law, the death penalty can be used in certain crimes, including those where "the offense was committed while the offender was committing or attempting to commit kidnapping and rape".

The charge would come in connection to the beating of Michelle Knight when she was pregnant and causing the death of the child she was carrying.

The death penalty charge is currently being reviewed y a special review board of the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office.

A superseding indictment would likely delay a trial date for Castro and require yet another arraignment. It could also mean moving the case to another courtroom and judge.

http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/local_news/investigations/Additional-charges-in-works-for-Cleveland-kidnapping-suspect-Ariel-Castro

I read on another article that he got mail and phone privileges.  They will be monitored but still.  Those women never had mail and phone access.  He shouldn't.  At least they are still going for the death penalty.  William

Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight: Victims Of Ohio Kidnap Case Break Their Silence

07/09/13 09:18 AM ET EDT, AP

CLEVELAND -- Three women who police say were held captive in a Cleveland home for about a decade have issued a video in which they thanked the public for the encouragement and financial support that are allowing them to restart their lives.

Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight broke their public silence in the 3-minute, 30-second video posted Monday night on YouTube. They said the support and prayers of family, friends and the public are allowing them to rebuild their lives after what Berry called "this entire ordeal."

The women had gone missing separately between 2002 and 2004, when they were 14, 16, and 20 years old.

In the video, none of the women had any visible scars of the abuse they said they suffered at the hands of Ariel Castro, who has pleaded not guilty to a 329-count indictment alleging he kidnapped them off the streets and held them captive in his two-story home. They were smiling and appeared upbeat.

Castro, a 52-year-old former bus driver, fathered a 6-year-old daughter with Berry and is accused of starving and punching Knight, causing her to miscarry. He was arrested May 6, shortly after Berry broke through a door at the home and yelled to neighbors for help.

Berry, the only one of the three women whose photographs have appeared publicly since her release, had shorter hair with a blonde streak in it. Knight, who authorities said had been taken captive first, wore glasses, had closely cropped hair and spoke a bit haltingly.

Knight said in the video that she is building a "brand new life."

"I may have been through hell and back, but I am strong enough to walk through hell with a smile on my face and my head held high," she said, reading from a prepared statement. "I will not let the situation define who I am. I will define the situation. I don't want to be consumed by hatred."

DeJesus' parents, Felix DeJesus and Nancy Ruiz, thanked the public for donations to a fund set up to help the women. In addition, Ruiz encouraged parents with missing loved ones to reach out for assistance. "Count on your neighbors," she said. "Don't be afraid to ask for the help because help is available."

Kathy Joseph, Knight's attorney, said in a statement that the three women wanted to "say thank you to people from Cleveland and across the world, now that two months have passed."

She said they're being recognized in public, "so they decided to put voices and faces to their heartfelt messages."

James Wooley, an attorney for Berry and DeJesus, also issued a statement saying Knight and his clients thank people for the privacy they've been given and do not want to discuss their case with the news media or anyone else.

The video was filmed July 2 and released by a public relations agency on the women's behalf with the cooperation of their lawyers.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/09/victims-ohio-kidnap-case-speak-out_n_3565442.html?icid=maing-grid7|main5|dl1|sec1_lnk2%26pLid%3D341430

This evil POS will move heaven and earth to keep from being convicted.  He is evil to the bone, not insane, EVIL and he doesn't deserve to live.

Not guilty plea entered for suspected kidnapper Ariel Castro
Posted: Jul 17, 2013 5:32 AM CDT
CLEVELAND, OH (WOIO) -
The Cleveland man suspected of kidnapping three women and holding them captive for years inside his west side home was arraigned on hundreds of new charges Wednesday.
As in past court appearances, Ariel Castro entered the courtroom with his head lowered and avoided eye contact. But on Wednesday, the judge ordered Castro to lift his head and look at her while she reviewed a summary of the new charges. Castro did as he was told.

Defense attorneys then entered a not guilty plea to the 977-count indictment filed against Castro last week.

The new indictment covers the entire time period from August 2002, when the first of the three women disappeared, until May of this year. The original indictment covered only the first four and a half years of the women's captivity.

The charges include aggravated murder stemming from the death of an unborn child of one of the women. That victim says Castro forced her to lose multiple babies after she got pregnant.

Last Thursday, a County Prosecutor Committee met to discuss whether Castro should get the death penalty. That still remains an option.

Castro is accused of holding Amanda Berry, Michelle Knight and Gina DeJesus captive in his Seymour Avenue house for years before they were rescued on May 6.

Berry gave birth to his daughter while in captivity.

Castro's bond remains at $8M and he is to avoid contact with the victims.

http://www.19actionnews.com/story/22861354/not-guilty-plea-entered-for-suspected-kidnapper-ariel-castro

Well at least he was not found insane and they have added more charges.  He'll never get off now.  William

i watched the video on youtube where these sweet girls were speaking and thanking everyone for their support. I know that castro guy is definitely going down. these girls will unfortunately have to testify and relive this horrible ordeal in front of a jury if it comes to that. this guy has his head down knowing he is an idiot. but i truley believe he will get life without parole. his family turned against him rightfully so. his daughter sees him as a monster. i don't know what defense attorney will be assigned to him. castro is a complete ahole. rotting in prison or death by the chair. something painful. i don't know about the brothers. but the truth will come out, all of it. at least the girls have each other because no one but them knows what happened and they can help support each other through this horrible horrible crime that seemed like it would be an eternity. they should bulldoze the house and afterwards sell the land and give the money to the girls.

in her honor

Castro agrees to plea deal: Life without parole plus 1,000 years


Tony Dejak / AP
Ariel Castro stands before a judge during his arraignment on July 17.

By Erin McClam, Staff Writer, NBC News

The Cleveland man accused of imprisoning and torturing three women for a decade agreed Friday to plead guilty and serve a life sentence — sparing the city an agonizing trial and perhaps the women from reliving their nightmare on the witness stand.

Under a plea agreement outlined in court, Ariel Castro agreed to a life sentence without parole, plus 1,000 years. The deal allows him to avoid the death penalty and forestalls a trial that was scheduled to start in two weeks.

“I knew I was going to get pretty much the book thrown at me,” Castro told Judge Michael J. Russo of Cuyahoga County court in Ohio. Asked whether he knew that he was forfeiting any hope of getting out of prison before he dies, Castro said: “I don’t think there’s any reason.”


Castro, 53, was accused of abducting the women from the Cleveland streets between 2002 and 2004, then holding them in his home for a decade. Investigators say he raped and impregnated them and sometimes chained them in the basement. Castro fathered a daughter, now 6, with Berry, authorities have said.

The three — Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight — escaped in May after Berry broke partway through a door and screamed for help while Castro was out of the house. Lawyers for the women say they simply want the matter behind them.

Castro faced 977 criminal counts, including attempted murder, a charge brought by Ohio prosecutors after one of the women told investigators that Castro forced her to miscarry by punching her in the stomach.

He pleaded not guilty July 17 at a hearing in which the judge had to ask him to keep his eyes open. Prosecutors said they were considering the death penalty but never announced a decision.

The women broke their silence in a three-minute video July 9. In it, Knight said: “I may have been through hell and back, but I am strong enough to walk through hell with a smile on my face, and my head held high, and my feet firmly on the ground.”

This story was originally published on Fri Jul 26, 2013 10:50 AM EDT

usnews.nbcnews.com/_.../19696653-ariel-castro-pleads-guilty-in-kidnappin...

He doesn't deserve to live, but at least he will never be free.  Let's see how he likes being locked up.  His won't be for a decade like his prisoners, it will be for as many decades as his sorry heart and health allow. 

I hope his fellow convicts give him a big welcoming party.

JUSTICE IS SERVED ONCE AGAIN. HEY A THOUSAND YEARS. THANK GOD THOSE GIRLS DON'T HAVE TO TAKE THE STAND AND HAVE TO RE LIVE THIS HORROR. MS. KNIGHT REALLY INSPIRED ME, OF COURSE SO DID THE OTHERS. I AM SO GLAD THAT HE ELECTED TO BE PUT AWAY. JUSTICE IS SERVED AFTER 10 YRS. CAYLEE'S MOTHER SOON MAY AS WELL. THE INMATES WILL KNOW WHO THIS SCUM BAG IS FOR SURE. HE'D BETTER BE IN A CELL BARELY ENOUGH TO MOVE. EVERY DOG HAS HIS DAY.

ARIEL WILL BE SOMEBODY'S GIRLFRIEND!!!! HAHA
MAYBE PUNCHING BAG AS WELL.

IN HER HONOR

I hope every time he is raped he thinks of his victims.  I hope he is raped multiple times per day.

I hope all three women are going to be able to find some peace and rest at last. What a horrible man... Hopefully someone tortures him everyday until he dies many many many years later in a slow long agonizing death.

We had some convicts escape and even break out of jail just recently. The death penalty provides a final ending to these monsters. Alive they can escape or get out on a tech. Death for a death. How many little babies did he kill? We will never know. Some justice but not enough in my opinion.

I'm hoping his fellow convicts take care of him.  He is evil and society should never have to worry about him again.

hope castro gets castrated in prison.

in her honor

castro committed suicide i read.

in her honor

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2410898/Ariel-Castro-Cleveland-kidnapper-dead-prison-hanging-cell.html

Several articles about it. He should have gotten the death penalty anyway but this cheats the women of justice. God will judge him now.
William