Ariel Castro takes plea in Ohio kidnap case, expected to get life plus 1,000 years
Accused of kidnapping three young women, holding them captive at his home and torturing them for nearly a decade, a Cleveland man has taken a plea that will require him to spend the rest of his life in prison.
Ariel Castro, 53, is expected to be sentenced to life plus 1,000 years, with no possibility of parole, after pleading guilty Friday in the Cuyahoga County case, reports CNN.
His sentencing will occur at a later date. While judges routinely follow sentencing agreements, they are not required to do so, notes the Des Moines Register.
Castro had faced 977 counts, including aggravated murder concerning miscarriages he allegedly caused for one of his captives, and could have potentially gotten the death penalty. Additionally, the plea deal spares the three victims from having to testify at trial.
NBC News also has a story.
