Cleveland – standing before man kidnapped her and raped her for a decade, Michelle Knight described how the world has changed in the three months since the last saw each other. The captive, now free and oppression to be locked forever to die a little every day. "
Ariel Castro's fate was determined long before that, prison life in 1,000 years. But the Knight's words in the courtroom crowded final seal concrete shook the nation, three young women years of torment at the Castro's shaky.
"For 11 years, got it back," Knight says. "For 11 years. Your hell has just begun. "
Shortly thereafter, the school bus driver ex 53 apologized to his victims in court, this rambling short. He accused repeatedly of his sex addiction, his ex-wife and others while claiming the sex was consensual and that the woman was never tortured.
"These people are trying to paint me as a monster," he said. "I'm not a monster. I was sick ".
The verdict was a foregone conclusion given after Castro pleaded guilty last week, counts 937, including aggravated murder, kidnapping, rape and assault. A deal with prosecutors spared him a possible death sentence, Knight beats until she dropped.
During her statement, Knight was a few meters from Castro, seeing him for the first time since saved her in may from the House-turned-Castro jail with an alarm system, heavy wooden doors that cover the Windows.
"I will continue to live," she said. "You die a little every day.
The three women disappeared separately between 2002 and 2004, when they were 14, 16 to 20 years. Each received a Castro. They ran on 6 may when Amanda Berry, now 27, broke some door to Castro's home in Cleveland neighborhood and shouted for help. Castro was arrested that evening.
Cleveland electric escape, where photos of the missing women still depend on the utility. Elation turned to despair as the details of distress emerged.
Prosecutors detailed Thursday repeated sexual assaults by Castro, peat, and asking for food or air.
They displayed pictures gave the first glimpse inside the rooms where the women lived. The bed lined and stuffed animals, paintings were pasted to the wall where Barry lived with a young daughter was fathered by Castro. One of the paintings on the shelf says, "happy birthday."
But in the same room, the window was closed and the door handles, the turntable was removed and replaced many locks.
Another room is shared by the Knight, Gina de Jesús were mobile services, radio clock necklaces.
Prosecutors said the women were tied in a basement bedroom furnace. One woman was a biker helmet resting on top while in the basement. Later, when she tried to run away, she had a wire wrapped around her neck.
FBI agent Andrew Burke said Castro will pay once his victims after raping them. And he would require them to pay him, if they want something from the store.
A letter written by Castro was found in the House days after the arrest, shown in court. It was titled "confession and details." he also wrote "I am a sex offender".
District Attorney Tim ?????'? McGinty said in the court filing that one of the women kept a diary.
"Talking values of forced sexual behavior, of being locked in a dark room, anticipating the next meeting of the abuse, one day dreams of escape, to reunite with his family, of being chained to the wall, held as a prisoner of war. Of treated like an animal, "said the filing.
Knight, 32, was the first woman was abducted after Castro to seduced her with the promise of a puppy for her son. She said. She cried all night because her years in captivity "has become the win."
"He tortured me all the time, especially during the holidays," Knight said. "Christmas was traumatic today because I got to spend it with my son."
She sat quietly as Castro claimed that women live a happy life with him.
"We had a lot of harmony that occur in this House," he said.
Castro called his daughter with Berry "child prodigy", argued with the referee because he didn't commit a violent crime.
He noted that the FBI was once close to him when the Feds with his daughter, who was walking home with de Jesus on the day she disappeared.
"Let these girls. Down when they questioned my daughter, "he said. "They failed to ask me."
He also said he never abused. Until he met his ex-wife, who died.
When Castro, Judge Michael Russo admitted Knight shows "remarkable restraint" in his statement. The judge then called Castro's claims that women live a happy life with him.
"I'm not sure there is anyone in America that I would agree with you," he said.
Castro's relatives were in the courtroom. De Jesus, also stayed away. Instead, family members to read their statements.
"We're going to assure you that our beloved family member, said Sylvia colon, a cousin of de Jesus.She laughs, swimming, dancing, and more important, he loved it. We comfort in knowing that she will continue to flourish. "
The women began rising from the privacy they sought after they escaped to freedom.
Berry made a surprise appearance on stage in a rap concert last weekend, is de Jesus made some remarks televised around the House.
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Seewer Toledo reported. Andrew Wiles-Huggins in Columbus contributed to this report.
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