Kidnapper of three Cleveland women found dead in Ohio jail cell

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Kidnapper of three Cleveland women found dead in Ohio jail cell

Ariel Castro, 53, sits in the courtroom during his sentencing for kidnapping, rape and murder in Cleveland, Ohio in this August 1, 2013 file photo. REUTERS/Aaron Josefczyk/Files

CLEVELAND | Wed Sep 4, 2013 1:00am EDT

(Reuters) - Former school bus driver Ariel Castro, sentenced to life in prison for the abduction, rape and torture of three Cleveland women he held captive for years in his house, was found dead in his Ohio prison cell late on Tuesday, a state corrections official said.

Castro, 53, who was under protective custody in isolation from other inmates at the Correctional Reception Center in Orient, Ohio, was found hanged by prison staff during their rounds at the facility, Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction spokeswoman JoEllen Smith said.

Castro was transferred to an area hospital and pronounced dead about 90 minutes later, she said.

(Reporting by Kim Palmer; Writing by Steve Gorman; editing by Christopher Wilson)

 

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4 September 2013 Last updated at 05:32 GMT

Cleveland kidnapper Ariel Castro found hanged in cell

Castro was sentenced last month to life imprisonment without parole plus 1,000 years

Ariel Castro, who kept women captive at his home in Cleveland, Ohio, has died after being found hanging in his cell.

Prison officials said he died in hospital late on Tuesday, after prison medical staff failed to revive him.

Castro, 53, held three women against their will for about a decade until May this year. He kept his victims chained up and raped them.

He was sentenced on 1 August to life imprisonment without parole plus 1,000 years. The house was demolished.

The former school bus driver abducted Michelle Knight, 32, Amanda Berry, 27, and Gina DeJesus, 23, from the Cleveland streets between 2002-04.

A spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, JoEllen Smith, said: "He was housed in protective custody which means he was in a cell by himself and rounds are required every 30 minutes at staggered intervals.

"Upon finding inmate Castro, prison medical staff began performing life saving measures. Shortly after he was transported to [the prison medical facility] where he was pronounced dead at 10:52 pm."

"A thorough review of this incident is under way," she added.

Castro was placed in protective custody because of the notoriety of his case, but was not on suicide watch.

Gina DeJesus was 14 years old when she disappeared. Amanda Berry was 16, and Michelle Knight, 21. Castro also fathered a child with Amanda Berry, who was rescued after she escaped from the house and contacted police.

Ariel Castro was arrested the same day. He was charged with multiple counts of kidnapping, rape and aggravated murder.

At his sentencing, Castro told the court that he had been "driven by sex", adding: "I'm not a violent predator… I'm not a monster, I'm a normal person.

"I'm just sick. I have an addiction, just like an alcoholic has an addiction."

But passing sentence, Judge Michael Russo told Castro there was no place in the world for people who enslave others.

Castro pleaded guilty to 977 charges related to the ordeal of his victims, including numerous rapes and the murder of a foetus because of assaults on its mother.