Ariel Castro Commits Suicide: Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus & Michelle Knight Kidnapper Found Dead
Ariel Castro, the man who held three women captive in his home for nearly a decade before one escaped, has been found dead and is believed to have committed suicide, a prison official said.
Castro, 53, was found hanging in his cell around 9:20 p.m. Tuesday at the Correctional Reception Center in Orient, a community located south of Columbus in central Ohio, JoEllen Smith, Department of Rehabilitation and Correction spokesman, said early Wednesday.
Prison medical staff performed CPR before Castro was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 10:52 p.m.
A judge sentenced 53-year-old Castro to life in prison without parole plus 1,000 years on Aug. 1 for the kidnappings of Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight. They were individually taken between 2002 and 2004 when they were 14 to 20 years old. Casto accepted a plea deal and admitted to kidnapping and repeatedly raping the women until they escaped his home in early May.
Michelle Knight Testimony in Court: 'I Can Forgive But I Will Never Forget'
During his sentencing, Castro attributed his "sickness" to an addiction to pornography and sexual abuse he suffered as a child.
His lawyers, Craig Weintraub and Jaye Schlachet, told the Cleveland Jewish News that while the public may view Castro negatively because of his actions against the women, studies should be conducted to determine whether his issue is genetic, organic or "limited simply to mental health."
