Ariel Castro agreed to a plea deal in an Ohio courtroom Friday that will save him from the death penalty, but never again will he see the light of day. He was sentenced to life, plus 1,000 years in prison. Ariel Castro Pleads Guilty The deal, reached with prosecutors, would let him avoid the possibility of a death sentence and spare his victims from having to testify at a trial. The plea deal entails that the Cleveland kidnapping perpetrator be sentenced to life in prison without parole – he will never even get a parole hearing. It would also mean that a trial Castro was facing on August 5 would not happen and he would not face the possibility of being sentenced to death. Judge Michael J. Russo went over the deal with Castro, and told him that he would be labeled as a sexual predator. Castro replied that he understood. Russo went through charges Ariel Castro faces relating to the allegations he held three women captive for a decade and asked how he pleaded. Over and over and over again, he replied: “Guilty.” An attorney for three kidnapping victims told CNN that they were hoping for a plea deal because they did not want to take the stand at Castro’s trial. One can certainly sympathize with that. A law firm representing Michelle Knight, Amanda Berry and Georgina “Gina” DeJesus, issued a statement after Ariel Castro agreed to a plea. “Amanda, Gina, and Michelle are relieved by today’s plea,” according to Jones Day. “They are satisfied by this resolution to the case, and are looking forward to having these legal proceedings draw to a final close in the near future.” The women want to remain private and don’t want to speak to media or others, the statement said, but they’re grateful for the support they’ve received.
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Ariel Castro Pleads Guilty to Rape, Kidnapping, Murder; Sentenced to 1,000 Years
