Ariel Castro, the Ohio man accused of atrocities related to his alleged abduction and detainment of three Cleveland-area women for nearly a decade, accepted a plea on Friday and will serve 1,000 years in jail with no parole
The plea would allow him to avoid the death penalty, USA Today reported.
Castro, 53, faced 977 criminal counts, ranging from kidnapping to rape to aggravated murder. He abducted three women and held them for a period of 11 years. One of the women gave birth in captivity.
The judge explained the details of the plea to Castro, who will be known as a sexual offender.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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