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Ariel Castro Pleads Not Guilty to Charges of Kidnapping, Rape, and Murder

Jun 12, 2013 |

The man that is accused of kidnapping and raping Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus, and Michelle Knight over the course of nearly a decade, pleaded not guilty to 329 separate crimes, including two charges of aggravated murder.

The three women were rescued on May 6 after Berry, with help from neighbors, was able to break out of the front door of Castro’s Seymour Avenue home in Cleveland, a place where police say the girls were kept in dungeon-like conditions.

Castro is currently being held on an $8 million bond after being charged with 329 crimes, including the two counts of aggravated murder that stem from the death of a fetus carried by one of the women, who also faced four other miscarriages while being held captive.

The breakdown of the other charges is as follows:

  • 139 counts of rape
  • 177 counts of kidnapping
  • 7 counts of gross sexual imposition
  • 3 counts of felonious assault
  • 1 count of possession of criminal tools

In consideration with these charges, the indictment clarifies that time period from which these charges were made was between August 2002 to February 2007 and that additional charges could be forthcoming.

All three women are currently at home with their families as the community continues to support them.  The Cleveland Courage Fund has raised over $750,000.