Kidnappings from Cleveland, Ohio

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The abductions in Cleveland, Ohio ended on May 6, 2013. The abducted women Amanda Berry, Georgina DeJesus and Michelle Knight had been missing for nine and eleven years, respectively. All of the crimes were committed in Cleveland , Ohio , USA by Ariel Castro, who imprisoned, abused and raped his victims in his own home . He was also found guilty of "unborn child murder" in the death of five of her unborn children as a result of the abuse of Michelle Knight. On August 1, 2013, Castro was found guilty on all 937 charges and sentenced to life imprisonment and an additional one thousand years in prison without parole. He hanged himself on September 3, 2013.

Victim

Michelle Knight

Knight was abducted on August 22, 2002 when she was leaving a cousin's home. She was 21 years old at the time of her disappearance. On the day of her kidnapping, she wanted to regain the legal guardianship of her son that had previously been withdrawn from her. She had at least five miscarriages during her imprisonment. During this time, she suffered hearing damage in one ear from being hit in the face.

Amanda Berry

Amanda Berry has been missing since April 21, 2003 and was 16 years old at the time of her disappearance. She turned 17 the day after she was abducted. On the day of the kidnapping, Berry called her sister and told her that she was on her way home from work and had a lift. She met Castro, who offered to take her home and kidnapped her instead.

Berry's child

In the course of the kidnapping, Berry became pregnant by Castro and, according to witness statements, gave birth to a daughter on December 25, 2006 in Castro's house. Michelle Knight assisted with the birth, with Castro threatening her with death if the child did not survive the birth. Knight had to reanimate the baby because it was no longer breathing. Castro occasionally left the house with his and Berry's daughter and visited his mother, whom the child addressed as a grandmother. In 2013, he showed his adult children a photo of the child conceived in captivity and passed it off as his girlfriend's daughter.

A DNA test found that the child is Ariel Castro's daughter. During the interrogation, he himself stated that he was the father and that the child had called him "Daddy".

Georgina "Gina" DeJesus

Gina DeJesus has been missing since April 2, 2004. At the time she was 14 years old. The last time she was seen that day, she and her friend Arlene, Ariel Castro's daughter, called her mother on a pay phone. The girls wanted to come to DeJesus, but the mother did not agree, so the two girls separated. Then Gina's trail was lost.

liberation

The Castro's house in Cleveland. The house was demolished on August 7, 2013.

On May 6, 2013, the three abducted women and the captive-born daughter were freed. It turned out that the house where the three young women had been imprisoned for years was only about three miles from the kidnapping sites of the three victims.

When Castro left the house that day, he forgot to lock the inner front door. Amanda Berry noticed this but was unable to break the door open from the inside. So she called for help. Neighbors including Charles Ramsey came to the rescue, and Berry told them that she and her daughter were being held in the house against their will. The police then freed Georgina DeJesus and Michelle Knight. All abductees were taken to the hospital. Berry and DeJesus were able to leave the clinic a day later, Knight only on May 10th.

Homeowner and kidnapper Ariel Castro was arrested shortly after the women were liberated.

Perpetrator

2004 FBI phantom of the suspect in the DeJesus case

Ariel Castro was born on July 10, 1960 as one of nine children. His father Pedro immigrated from Puerto Rico to the United States in 1954 and lived in Pennsylvania before moving to Cleveland. His mother lived nearby. The Castro and DeJesus families lived together in the Cleveland neighborhood. Castro attended Lincoln-West High School, which he graduated from in 1979. He met his future wife, Grimilda Figueroa, in the 1980s when his parents moved into a new house in their neighborhood. Castro worked as a bus driver for the Cleveland Metropolitan School District from 1991 to 2012 , attracted negative attention there several times and was therefore fired. Among other things, he took the bus to lunch or went home to sleep. Castro was accused of mistreating his wife, sustaining broken ribs, nasal bones, arms and skulls. In 1993, he was arrested for domestic violence , but was never charged. Figueroa moved out in 1996 and obtained sole custody of their four children.

Investigations and Trials

Castro is being questioned by the FBI.

Cleveland Police made two visits to Castro's house for incidents unrelated to the abducted women. Since Castro was not found, the police left and later interrogated him at another location. Police denied having received any leads from neighbors who observed Castro's unusual activity.

After his arrest, two of his brothers, who were initially suspected of being involved in the crime, were also arrested. They were released three days later, apparently unaware of the crimes.

Knight testified to police that she had five miscarriages while in custody due to Castro punching her in the abdomen and starving her. DeJesus stated in the police record that she was also raped but had not noticed a pregnancy. Castro's DNA has been compared with other, as yet unexplained acts.

On May 9, 2013, Castro had his first trial at the Cleveland District Court. The deposit was pro kidnapping or false imprisonment to 2 million US dollars prized and amounted to a total bail of 8 million US dollars. On May 14, 2013, Castro pleaded not guilty on all charges. On August 1, 2013, he was sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty on all 937 counts.

On September 3, 2013 he was found hanged in his cell, he is suicide committed.

literature

  • Michelle Knight: The Unbreakable: Eleven Years Captive. How I survived . Bastei Lübbe, 1st edition May 2014, ISBN 978-3785725184 (Title of the original American edition (May 2014): Finding me. A Decade of Darkness, a Life Reclaimed: A Memoir of the Cleveland Kidnappings )

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Silke Hasselmann: 1000 years imprisonment for Cleveland kidnappers. ( Memento from August 3, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) tagesschau.de, August 2, 2013
  2. ↑ a b Leila Atassi: Michelle Knight's 'normal teenage life,' plagued by troubles in years before disappearance . The Plain Dealer. May 7, 2013. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  3. ↑ Manuel Roig-Franzia, Jerry Markon: 3 missing women rescued from Cleveland home; questions raised over police visits . The Washington Post. May 7, 2013. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  4. ^ Colleen Seitz: Michelle Knight, missing Cleveland woman, disappeared in 2002 . newsnet5.com. May 6, 2013. Archived from the original on May 8, 2013. Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved May 17, 2013. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.newsnet5.com
  5. ↑ Melanie Eversley, Yamiche Alcindor: Reports: Knight lived troubled life before abduction . USA Today. May 9, 2013. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  6. ↑ a b c Michelle Knight told cops Ariel Castro threatened to kill her if Amanda Berry's baby died . CBS News. May 9, 2013. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  7. ^ Michelle Knight needs "facial reconstruction" after Cleveland rescue, grandmother says. CBS News , May 10, 2013, accessed May 23, 2013 .
  8. ^ Profiles: Amanda Berry, Georgina DeJesus and Michele Knight . BBC. May 7, 2013. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  9. ↑ Brandon Blackwell: Initial police report: Castro tempted women with rides, then abducted, beat and raped them . The Plain Dealer. May 9, 2013. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  10. ↑ Jon Swaine: Ohio kidnappings: Michelle Knight forced to deliver Amanda Berry's baby on Christmas Day . The Telegraph. May 9, 2013. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  11. ^ A b John Caniglia: Authorities say daughter of Amanda Berry born in inflatable pool . The Plain Dealer. May 8, 2013. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  12. ^ Robin Webb: Latest revelations in Ohio captivity case . USA Today. May 8, 2013. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  13. ↑ Laura Segall, Erica Fink, Ben Brumfield: 'He is dead to me,' daughter of Ohio suspect says in CNN exclusive . CNN. May 10, 2013. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  14. ↑ Ariel Castro is father of Amanda Berry's child, state DNA results say . The Plain Dealer. May 10, 2013. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  15. ^ Henry J. Gomez: The rescue of Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight: 30 minutes that ended a decade of nightmares . The Plain Dealer. May 13, 2013. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  16. ↑ Peter Zicari: Six long days, Gina still missing Parents, police, city officials focus on case at community meeting . The Plain Dealer. April 1, 2008. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  17. ↑ Nikhil Kumar, David Usborne: Cleveland kidnapping: Son reveals his father padlocked doors to basement because 'we weren't allowed to go there' . The Independent. May 8, 2013. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  18. ↑ TIMELINE: Ohio missing women case . Fox News. May 7, 2013. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  19. ↑ a b Cleveland rescue: The mystery of 2207 Seymour Avenue . BBC. May 10, 2013. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  20. ↑ Erin McClam: Cleveland man charged with kidnapping, rape; no charges for 2 brothers . NBC News. May 9, 2013. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  21. ^ A b c Anderson Cooper interview with Charles Ramsey . CNN. May 7, 2013. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  22. ^ Thomas J. Sheeran, John Coyne: 3 missing women found in Ohio, 3 brothers arrested . Associated Press. August 7, 2013. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  23. ↑ Yamiche Alcindor, John Bacon: 2 freed women return home; 3rd still in hospital . USA Today. May 8, 2013. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  24. ↑ Michael Walsh: Cleveland captive Michelle Knight leaves hospital without telling family . New York Daily News. May 11, 2013. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  25. ↑ Alex Perez: Cleveland Kidnapping Suspect Ariel Castro Hid a Dark Side, His Uncle Says . ABC News. May 7, 2013. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  26. ↑ Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus, Michelle Knight in Cleveland: Frequently asked questions . The Plain Dealer. May 9, 2013. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  27. ↑ a b Matt Smith, Greg Botelho, Martin Savidge: 'I never forgot about you': Families reunite with women held captive for years . CNN. May 7, 2013. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  28. ^ Donna Canvas Leger: Details emerge on Cleveland kidnap suspect's history . USA Today. May 13, 2013. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  29. ^ Greg Botelho, Matt Smith, Pamela Brown: Ohio kidnapping case: Amanda Berry's baby delivered by another captive . CNN. May 9, 2013. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  30. ↑ Julie Kent: Ariel Castro Arrested as Suspect in Abduction and Disappearance of Three Cleveland Women . The Cleveland Leader. May 6, 2013. Archived from the original on June 6, 2013. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  31. ^ Leila Atassi: Berry, DeJesus, Knight found alive, police source confirms . The Plain Dealer. May 7, 2013. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  32. ↑ a b Ariel Castro Charged with Kidnapping, Rape; Brothers Pedro and Onil Released . WHNT. May 8, 2013. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  33. ↑ Rachel Dissell: State crime lab rushing to test Ariel Castro's DNA for investigators . The Plain Dealer. May 9, 2013. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  34. ↑ Jerry Markon: Cleveland man accused of kidnapping, raping 3 women held on $ 8 million bond . In: The Washington Post , May 9, 2013. Retrieved May 17, 2013. 
  35. ↑ Donna Canvas Leger, Gary Strauss: Prosecutor: Ariel Castro could face death penalty . USA Today. May 10, 2013. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
  36. ↑ Cleveland kidnap accused Castro to plead innocent-lawyers . In: BBC , May 15, 2013. Retrieved May 17, 2013. 
  37. ↑ Corinne Lestch: Ariel Castro, brutal captor of 3 women in Cleveland, hangs himself in prison cell . NY Daily News. September 4, 2013. Retrieved September 4, 2013.