Ohio man faces new charges in kidnap case
Accused of holding three women for about 10 years
COLUMBUS, Ohio A man accused of holding three women captive in his Cleveland home for about a decade was charged Friday with hundreds of additional counts covering the entire time of the alleged imprisonment.
The 977-count indictment against Ariel Castro includes charges of rape and kidnapping and two counts of aggravated murder related to the alleged termination of one of the women’s pregnancies. The indictment does not include charges that could carry a death sentence, but Cuyahoga County prosecutor Tim McGinty said he is still reserving that option.
Castro, 53, is charged with kidnapping the three women and keeping them — sometimes restrained in chains — along with a six-year-old girl he fathered with one of them.
Castro pleaded not guilty to an earlier 329-count indictment. A message was left with his attorney Friday.
The grand jury charged Castro with two counts of aggravated murder related to one act, saying he purposely caused the unlawful termination of one of the women’s pregnancies.
The indictment also charges him with 512 counts of kidnapping, 446 counts of rape, seven counts of gross sexual imposition, six counts of felonious assault, three counts of child endangerment and one count of possessing criminal tools.
The 576-page indictment covers the period from August 2002, when the first victim disappeared, to May, when the women were rescued.
“Today’s indictment moves us closer to resolution of this gruesome case,” McGinty said in a statement. “Our investigation continues, as does our preparation for trial.”
News that the women had been found alive electrified the Cleveland area, where two of the victims were household names after years of searches, publicity and vigils. But elation soon turned to shock as allegations about their treatment began to emerge.