It’s been over a month since the three female Cleveland kidnapping victims were found alive after 10 years of being in hiding, and justice is finally being served against their kidnapper.
Ariel Castro, the man who swept the three women away from their friends and family has just been charged with one count of murder, as well as 329 counts of rape and kidnapping.
The murder count comes from his alleged terminating of one of the captive’s pregnancies.
According to USA Today, the other counts include 139 counts of rape and 177 charges of kidnapping, seven counts of gross sexual imposition, three counts of felony assault and one count of possession of criminal tools.
Being that the investigation is still taking place, there may be additional charges added, which could follow in a superseding indictment.
The site reports:
The indictment charges Castro as a “sexually violent predator” who committed the murder and rapes in the course of a kidnapping. Those charges are considered aggravating factors that call for stiffer penalties. The murder charge is tied to one victim’s fourth pregnancy, the indictment said.
The County Prosecutor’s Capital Review Committee will consider whether prosecutors should seek the death penalty if Castro is convicted. Castro, who was fired last year from his job as a school bus driver, is being held in the Cuyahoga County jail on $8 million bail. A judge will arraign Castro on the new charges next week, McGinty said.
It looks like justice is finally being served for these women who suffered for 10 years. We pray for them and their families.
