CLEVELAND, Ohio – The man accused of kidnapping and imprisoning Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight in his home could face the death penalty, says Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Timothy J. McGinty.
McGinty said Thursday that he will pursue charges against Ariel Castro “for each act of aggravated murder he committed by terminating pregnancies” during the women’s decade of captivity.
Castro, 52, also could face charges of attempted murder, rape, sexual assault and felonious assault, McGinty said, adding that he will seek to charge Castro for each day the women were held captive and for each time they were raped.
“This child kidnapper operated a torture chamber and private prison in the heart of our city,” McGinty said at a news conference in a park across from the downtown Justice Center, where Castro was being held.
McGinty said what transpired in Castro’s West Side home is “beyond comprehension.”