Cleveland kidnapping suspect agrees to plea bargain

In what might be the first act of mercy shown to his victims, the man charged with kidnapping, raping and beating three Cleveland, Ohio, women agreed to a plea deal on Friday that would spare the women the agony of reliving the horrific details of their years in captivity during a jury trial.

Ariel Castro, 53, of Cleveland would serve life without parole, plus 1,000 years, and be spared the death penalty, according to the agreement.

Castro, unlike in prior hearings when he hung his head, repeatedly looked around the courtroom and responded to Cuyahoga Common Pleas Judge Michael Russo's questions in a loud voice.

Russo asked Castro in numerous ways if he understood that, based on the plea deal, he would never get out of prison and was waiving his rights to a jury trial. Each time, Castro looked at Russo and clearly answered, "Yes, your honor."

After more than an hour of explaining the consequences of the agreement to Castro, Russo began asking him for his plea to the specific charges of aggravated murder, rape and kidnapping. Castro's response to each was "guilty."

Russo said a sentencing hearing would be held Aug. 1 and that he still needed to agree to the sentencing recommendations in the plea deal. The deal was reached by his defense team and Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Tim McGinty.

Earlier this summer, a grand jury indicted Castro on 977 charges, including kidnapping, rape and murder.

Authorities say Castro kidnapped the three women — Gina DeJesus, 23, Michelle Knight,32, and Amanda Berry, 27 — and held them captive in his west side Cleveland home for the past decade. While in captivity, authorities say, he chained the women in his basement, repeatedly beat and sexually assaulted them, and allowed them outside his house on only a few occasions.

He also fathered Berry’s 6-year-old daughter while he held her captive, authorities say. When he impregnated another of the women, he beat and starved her until she miscarried, which led to an aggravated murder charge. It was that charge that could have resulted in the death penalty.

The women, who did not attend Friday's hearing, were able to escape Castro’s home on May 6. They have not spoken publicly of their ordeal, and have released only a video on the Internet, thanking the community for being supportive.

 Castro’s jury trial had been set to begin on Aug. 5.