Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Three women, kidnapped a decade ago, found alive

Thomas Veil

Thomas Veil

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Feb 14, 2004
2,636
8,862
Much greener pastures
Brrr. Living in northern Ohio as I do, I remember the Amanda Berry case very well. The poor girl left her job at Burger King and never made it home...

Three Ohio women found alive after being missing for a decade; 3 men arrested

Three brothers have been arrested after three women who disappeared in separate incidents about a decade ago were found alive in a house in Ohio, police said.

A neighbor told how he came to the women’s rescue after hearing screams coming from the house in Cleveland.

Officials confirm that one man has been arrested after three Ohio women were found alive after being missing for a decade.

Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michele Knight went missing between 2000 and 2004 when they were aged between 14 and 20. Berry's mother died in 2006, not knowing whether her daughter was alive or dead.

Three male suspects, including a 52-year-old man, were arrested, Cleveland Police said in a statement. Reuters reported they were brothers, citing police.

Neighbor Charles Ramsey told NBC Cleveland station WKYC that he heard screams coming from the house on the city’s west side and was able to speak to Berry, who said she was trapped inside.

She told Ramsey her name and said, "I've been kidnapped, and I've been in this house a long time, and I want to leave right now."

The door would not open so Ramsey said he helped kick it down and then allowed Berry to call 911. Berry had with her a child who she said belonged to her captor....

Cleveland police released the frantic call where Berry pleaded with a 911 operator to send help right away.

"Help me! I'm Amanda Berry. I've been kidnapped and I've been missing for 10 years and I'm here. I'm free now," she said. "I'm Amanda Berry, I've been on the news."

Police in Cleveland made an amazing discovery -- three young women who went missing a decade ago were found alive and safe....

All three women were taken to a hospital, where they were reported to be in good medical condition, according to officials....

The women's disappearance has been a mystery to Cleveland authorities for years.

Berry, now 27, was reported missing on April 21, 2003 after she phoned her sister to say she was getting a ride home from her job at a fast food restaurant.

About one year later, then 14-year-old DeJesus went missing when walking home from school.

Knight went missing around the year 2000, police said, but since she was 20 years old at the time, authorities assumed she may have run off on her own.
Click to expand...
Freaking creepy story, but at least it has a happy ending. :)
 
firedept

firedept

macrumors 603
Jul 8, 2011
6,277
1,130
Somewhere!
His comment is saddening. But he is a good man to have done what he did to help these three women regain their freedom. I have a suggestion as to what to do to the three brothers who are involved, but I best leave it unsaid.
 
S

snberk103

macrumors 603
Oct 22, 2007
5,503
91
An Island in the Salish Sea
firedept said:
... I have a suggestion as to what to do to the three brothers who are involved, but I best leave it unsaid.
Click to expand...

A fair trial to determine the true facts of the case and to allocate proper justice based on the participation of the brothers who are alleged to have committed the crime? Or is that too old-fashioned?

Due to the 6 year old child, I suspect that there will be another charge laid as soon as some DNA tests are run.
 
ucfgrad93

ucfgrad93

macrumors Core
Aug 17, 2007
19,535
10,821
Colorado
snberk103 said:
A fair trial to determine the true facts of the case and to allocate proper justice based on the participation of the brothers who are alleged to have committed the crime? Or is that too old-fashioned?

Due to the 6 year old child, I suspect that there will be another charge laid as soon as some DNA tests are run.
Click to expand...

Absolutely, they deserve a fair trial. And if convicted, they should be put in jail for the rest of their lives.
 
firedept

firedept

macrumors 603
Jul 8, 2011
6,277
1,130
Somewhere!
snberk103 said:
A fair trial to determine the true facts of the case and to allocate proper justice based on the participation of the brothers who are alleged to have committed the crime? Or is that too old-fashioned?

Due to the 6 year old child, I suspect that there will be another charge laid as soon as some DNA tests are run.
Click to expand...

ucfgrad93 said:
Absolutely, they deserve a fair trial. And if convicted, they should be put in jail for the rest of their lives.
Click to expand...

Should have worded my comment better. I should have said "if convicted".
 
eawmp1

eawmp1

macrumors 601
Feb 19, 2008
4,158
91
FL
I hope the women (and the child) get a lot of counselling in what will likely be a long recovery from their ordeal.
 
TheAppleFairy

TheAppleFairy

Suspended
Mar 28, 2013
2,588
2,223
The Clinton Archipelago unfortunately
Antares said:
If found guilty, they should hopefully get sentenced to prison for the combined amount of time the women were held captive. That would be a fitting punishment.
Click to expand...

I disagree, it should be more than that amount of time.

What if he kidnapped 3 girls and kept them captive for 1 year? Would 3 years be enough?

Life imprisonment without parole would be enough if you ask me.
 
bradl

bradl

macrumors 603
Jun 16, 2008
5,925
17,403
TheAppleFairy said:
I disagree, it should be more than that amount of time.

What if he kidnapped 3 girls and kept them captive for 1 year? Would 3 years be enough?

Life imprisonment without parole would be enough if you ask me.
Click to expand...

This I agree. We only need to look as far as the Jaci Lee Duggar case to see what may happen here. Yes, the time was shorter, but still, I feel horrible for the women and what they went through. Even more so, I feel for the parents.

BL.
 
Thomas Veil

Thomas Veil

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Feb 14, 2004
2,636
8,862
Much greener pastures
I looked it up, and the minimum sentence in Ohio for kidnapping with risk of serious physical harm is fifteen years to life. I don't know how it's all going to shake out on Ariel Castro being the mastermind vs. his brothers being "only" accomplices, etc., but Ariel alone could be looking at a minimum of 45 years. And that's without getting into the issue of rape.

(I'm curious, though, how they could prove rape. The child's DNA is obviously evidence, but that's potentially only one count. Proof of rape usually requires evidence obtained very quickly after the event...and this was going on for years.)

It's kind of odd watching the wall-to-wall Cleveland area media coverage. On the one hand, you want to feel celebratory for these women (as their families and neighbors do). It is wonderful that they're finally free. On the other hand, just thinking about what they went through leaves me completely weirded out.
 
Don't panic

Don't panic

macrumors 603
Jan 30, 2004
5,541
697
having a drink at Milliways
Thomas Veil said:
I looked it up, and the minimum sentence in Ohio for kidnapping with risk of serious physical harm is fifteen years to life. I don't know how it's all going to shake out on Ariel Castro being the mastermind vs. his brothers being "only" accomplices, etc., but Ariel alone could be looking at a minimum of 45 years. And that's without getting into the issue of rape.

(I'm curious, though, how they could prove rape. The child's DNA is obviously evidence, but that's potentially only one count. Proof of rape usually requires evidence obtained very quickly after the event...and this was going on for years.)

It's kind of odd watching the wall-to-wall Cleveland area media coverage. On the one hand, you want to feel celebratory for these women (as their families and neighbors do). It is wonderful that they're finally free. On the other hand, just thinking about what they went through leaves me completely weirded out.
Click to expand...

i am not sure they will need to get the rape convictions to get a life sentence for this guy (or guys), but the women can probably testify to it being done to the others.
 
Mac'nCheese

Mac'nCheese

Suspended
Feb 9, 2010
3,752
5,108
These guys kidnapped three girls and held them for a decade. Don't worry about the length of their prison terms; they won't last long...
 
rhett7660

rhett7660

macrumors G5
Jan 9, 2008
14,224
4,304
Sunny, Southern California
Thomas Veil said:
I looked it up, and the minimum sentence in Ohio for kidnapping with risk of serious physical harm is fifteen years to life. I don't know how it's all going to shake out on Ariel Castro being the mastermind vs. his brothers being "only" accomplices, etc., but Ariel alone could be looking at a minimum of 45 years. And that's without getting into the issue of rape.

(I'm curious, though, how they could prove rape. The child's DNA is obviously evidence, but that's potentially only one count. Proof of rape usually requires evidence obtained very quickly after the event...and this was going on for years.)

It's kind of odd watching the wall-to-wall Cleveland area media coverage. On the one hand, you want to feel celebratory for these women (as their families and neighbors do). It is wonderful that they're finally free. On the other hand, just thinking about what they went through leaves me completely weirded out.
Click to expand...

That makes two of us. The things these women went through. On a side note at least from what it sounds like they were in a house and not locked in the basement or shed underground the entire time.
 
GoCubsGo

GoCubsGo

macrumors Nehalem
Feb 19, 2005
35,741
153
It is hard not to follow this story in the media. There are so many odd stories floating around about the captors helping with the search 10 years ago and the article the son wrote 10 years ago about the kidnapping. I realize the son wasn't living there at the time, but it is still odd.

None of these girls will have a completely normal life, ever. I feel for them.
 
TheAppleFairy

TheAppleFairy

Suspended
Mar 28, 2013
2,588
2,223
The Clinton Archipelago unfortunately
jessica. said:
None of these girls will have a completely normal life, ever. I feel for them.
Click to expand...

That's one of my reasons for saying the people responsible for these types of crimes deserve harsh punishments. The other reason is just the fact that he took a large chunk of someone freedom/civil rights/life from them, you don't deserve the rights you have denied another person.
 
ucfgrad93

ucfgrad93

macrumors Core
Aug 17, 2007
19,535
10,821
Colorado
TheAppleFairy said:
That's one of my reasons for saying the people responsible for these types of crimes deserve harsh punishments. The other reason is just the fact that he took a large chunk of someone freedom/civil rights/life from them, you don't deserve the rights you have denied another person.
Click to expand...

Agreed. If convicted, they should spend the rest of their lives in prison.
 
MacNut

MacNut

macrumors Core
Jan 4, 2002
22,995
9,973
CT
So the cops are saying no one ever reported the house, the neighbors are saying they called the cops all the time. Seems like somewhere there is an information black hole.
 
Huntn

Huntn

macrumors Core
May 5, 2008
23,483
26,600
The Misty Mountains
mobilehaathi said:
I'm not sure the ending is quite happy. It is better than many other outcomes, but these women will be permanently scarred.
Click to expand...

No doubt scarred, but I view it as a very happy ending as compared to the alternative ending. I'm sure that for some people this would be a life ruining experience and for others, they will overcome and come to terms with it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom