In the wake of last night’s shocking news that Cleveland kidnapper Ariel Castro committed suicide while in protective custody, his family is speaking out about his death.
And while the family of the man who held three women captive for nearly ten years is mourning his death, they’re also revealing some surprising emotions.
Castro’s brother-in-law, Juan Alicea, told CNN that the family was notified by the warden about 1 a.m. The family is angry, Alicea said, that it learned about the death from media reports first.
But it was his cousin, Maria Castro-Montes, that thought first about the victims and then revealed to CNN what his death truly means to her.
“It was just shock and part of it was even relief in hopes that now this will just end all of it and that his name will not be out in the spotlight for years and years to come,” she told CNN. “I just hope the victims can move past this now.”
Castro-Montes adds that nearly everyone in the family had cut ties with Castro, and hopes that with his death, the tragic story can come to an end.
As for the victims, Amanda Berry, Michelle Knight and Gina DeJesus, they are aware of his suicide but are not expected to make a statement.
But, less than 24 hours after his death, it is Knight’s words during Castro’s sentencing last month that are echoing in the heads of everyone now:
“I will live on. You will die a little every day…your hell has just begun.”
We’ll keep you updated on the latest developments in this story.
SOURCE: CNN
