The Cleveland kidnapping case is coming to a close as Ariel Castro reached a plea deal earlier today to avoid getting the death penalty.
Ariel faced a grand total of 937 charges including rape and kidnapping after he kept Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus, and Michelle Knight captive for more than ten years.
He changed his plea to guilty in hopes of reaching a deal that would get him life in prison plus 1,000 years without any possibility of parole.
The guilty plea comes as great news for the three victims, as it means they will not have to come to court to testify, as Ariel says he will fully cooperate with the FBI and “tell them everything.”
While he agreed to the terms of the plea deal, judge Michael Russo will ultimately make the final decision on a ruling later today. Although he is not bound to the terms of the deal, it’s pretty uncommon for judges to go with a different ruling.
More details to come.
[Image via Tony Dejak/AP Images.]