Three women, missing for a decade, found alive

[UserX]

What a low life piece of shit. I bet he's killed within 30 days of entering prison.

[talisman]

This is irritating. I understand not wanting to put the women through a trial, but if there was ever a case for the death penalty being utilized, this is it.



In what might be the first act of mercy shown to his victims, the man charged with kidnapping, raping and beating three Cleveland, Ohio, women agreed to a plea deal Friday that would spare the women the agony of reliving the horrific details of their years in captivity during a jury trial.

Ariel Castro, 53, of Cleveland, would serve life without parole and be spared the death penalty, according to the agreement.

When Castro entered the count room, he repeatedly looked around and then clearly answered numerous questions from Cuyahoga Common Pleas Judge Michael Russo, including whether Castro understood that, based on the plea bargain, he would never get out of prison and was waving his rights to a jury trial.

Judge Russo said a sentencing hearing would be held Aug. 1 and that he still needed to agree to the sentencing recommendations in the plea bargain.The deal was reached by his defense team and Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Tim McGinty.

Earlier this summer, a grand jury indicted Castro on 977 charges, including kidnapping, rape and murder.

Authorities say that Castro kidnapped the three women — Gina DeJesus, 23, Michelle Knight,32, and Amanda Berry, 27 — and held them captive in his west side Cleveland home for the past decade. While in captivity, authorities say he chained the women in his basement, repeatedly beat and sexually assaulted them, and only allowed them outside his house on a few occasions.

He also fathered Berry’s 6-year-old daughter while he held her captive, authorities say. When he impregnated another of the women, he beat and starved her until she miscarried, which led to an aggravated murder charge. It was that charge that could have resulted in the death penalty.

The women were able to escape Castro’s home on May 6. They have not spoken publicly of their ordeal, and have only released a video on the Internet, thanking the community for being supportive.

Castro’s jury trial had been set to begin on Aug. 5.

[Dawkins]

Hope he likes solitary for the rest of his life. No way he lasts a day in gen pop.