In an effort to avoid the death penalty and a messy trial, Ariel Castro pleaded not guilty Wednesday to more than 300 charges of rape, kidnapping, torture and aggravated murder. The charges only account for half of the 10 year period that Castro held Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight captive in his Cleveland, Ohio home. Castro remained silent and looked at the floor while his attorneys entered the plea on his behalf.
The 52-year-old is facing 139 counts of rape, 177 counts of kidnapping, 7 counts of gross sexual imposition, 3 counts of felony assault, and 1 count of possession of criminal tools. He is also charged with two counts of aggravated murder for terminating pregnancies involving one of the women. A baby he fathered with Berry survived and was held captive with the women. The girl is now 6-years-old.
Castro’s defense attorney Craig Weintraub said the not guilty plea forces prosecutors to "continue to evaluate their case and determine whether medical and forensic evidence can actually support an aggravated murder conviction for the death of a fetus and whether the death penalty is warranted."
"In all likelihood, the prosecutor's decision will be predicated upon the opinions of medical and forensic experts, and more importantly, whether the women in this case want this case to go to trial for those limited issues," he said. "We are very sensitive to the emotional strain and impact that a trial would have on the women, their families and this community. Mr. Castro currently faces hundreds of years in prison with the current charges and it is our hope that we can continue to work toward a resolution to avoid having an unnecessary trial about aggravated murder and the death penalty."
The women escaped Castro’s home on May 6. While Castro was out, Berry got to a door that would only opened wide enough to fit a hand through and began screaming to get the attention of neighbors. A man named Charles Ramsey heard her screams and kicked the door in to free her. Berry escaped with her daughter and called 911 immediately.
Berry disappeared in April 2003 just one day before her 17th birthday. Knight vanished the year before at age 20, and DeJesus disappeared at age 14 in 2004. During their captivity, the women were repeatedly raped, abused and restrained with chains.
Castro, a former school bus driver, is being held in jail on $8 million bail.
###
Click here for more Law News
