and investigators found early on once they entered that home. this hearing continues in cleveland. we're going to drop this and let you listen to this as we get more evidence from castro as our colleagues from "happening now" take over from husband. >> did mr. castro use -- [inaudible] to run an internal barter economy, if you will, with his victims? >> on occasion. >> would he, after sexually abusing them, throw money at them saying, here, you're being paid for the sex, in essence? >> there were reports of that. >> and would he then in turn if they wanted something special from the store demand payment of them from those monies for the items requested? >> occasionally as well. >> now, before you is who?

or whom, i should say. >> michele knight, amanda berry and gina dejesus. >> and this is the now well known commercial production of their thank you statement -- [inaudible] correct? >> yes. >> is that how they appeared to you that day? those initial days? >> no. >> what was different? >> as i mentioned, the witnesses have made dramatic recoveries, i believe, physically and psychologically. so their initial appearance to me was considerably more dire. >> the middle photo of michele knight that's on the screen before you know, do you recognize the place and location of that photo? >> the photograph taken at metro hospital. >> so that's how she appeared the night of may 6th? >> correct. >> thank you. ask this photo would be -- and this photo would be from what

point many time? >> this would be the day or day after, at that point may 7th or possibly may 8th. >> now, this triplicate progression of amanda berry, do you recognize these photos? >> yes. >> and the middle photo, do you recognize the place of that photo? >> metro hospital. >> and this photo? >> that's at the fbi office. that's may 7th. >> and now this triplicate progression of georgina delaware jesus. do you -- de jesus. do you recognize the time and place of the middle photo? >> may 6th, metro hospital. >> and this photo? >> may 7th, cleveland fbi office. >> thank you, special agent

burke. >> judge, may i -- [inaudible] >> certainly. >> thank you. >> [inaudible] >> thank you, judge. thank you. [inaudible] >> you have until 3 -- 11:0. >> you were directed to a letter that was found which was allegedly written by mr. castro on april 4th of 2004. do you recall that? >> i do. >> and you're familiar with that document, you have read it, i'm sure, several times. is that correct? >> i have read it several times. >> and you would agree with me that based on your familiarity with the document that despite the circumstances and the origin of this, he did explain in that letter to whoever was eventually

known to read it as to how these abductions occurred, and he did can expression remorse for his conduct, is that correct? >> i believe in the letter he wrote something to the effect that he was sorry for his conduct. >> and i think that part of this was he was unsure but certainly believed that, he expressed in the letter that he was sick and mentally ill. and other that he had no explanation for why he could possibly do something like this. would you agree that he wrote that? >> yes. >> and we know that it does seem to imply, if you would agree with me, that victims may have

a, i guess for lack of a better word, a suicide letter. there was that sort of impression, and we know that ultimately he didn't kill himself, but he did give that impression as to the suicide type of note. would you agree with that? >> i don't know that i would concur that it was written as a suicide note. it did not give me that immediate impression. >> thank you, your honor, i don't have anything further. >> state will next call deputy david jacobs. [inaudible conversations] >> good morning. would you identify yourself and your employment? >> my name is dave jacobs, i'm deputy sheriff with the cuyahoga

county sheriff's office. as detective, i'm currently assigned to the violent crimes task force at the cleveland fbi. >> and are you deputized to any other law enforcement agencies? >> yes, i have a special deputy u.s. marshal commission, and i'm also commissioned by the special agent in charge of the -- [inaudible] division by the fbi. >> in the interest of time, were you involved or assigned to participate in the interrogation of ariel castro april -- sorry, may 7, 2013? >> yes. >> did you develop a strategy for that interrogation as to how you intended to proceed? >> i did. >> what was it? >> my strategy for the interrogation was to be nonconfrontational, to obtain information from mr. castro that would meet the elements of the crimes that we thought that he may be charged with in the near future. >> were you going into it in an attempt to browbeat him or be

confrontational with him? >> not at all. >> with okay. did you administer miranda right toss him? >> yes, i did. >> did he sign a written waiver ofmy ran ca rights? >> yes, he did. >> on a separate form and then ultimately at the conclusion of that process did he also execute a three-page summary statement of the -- [inaudible] of that interrogation as to his core admission of conduct? >> yes, he did. that was the -- there were two interviews that i conducted with ariel castro. the first one was may 7th, the second one was may 8th. the second day is when we took a written statement from mr. castro. >> briefly, i just want to approach, your honor, and show him state's 11. do you recognize this document? three pages? >> yes, i do. that's the written statement we took from ariel castro on may 8, 2013. >> all right. describe how mr. castro interacted with you in terms of

if you posed a question or a statement to him, was he in engagement with you during this interrogation? was he responsive to your questions? >> yes. surprisingly, he was very -- his answers were very succinct. when i asked him a question, he answered the question. typically, in my experience with interviews when you ask somebody an incriminating question, you may not get the answer. i felt that ariel castro, when questions were posed to him, incriminating questions, he answered those questions. >> so was he beating around the bush? >> not at all. >> was he taking the long way around the block? >> absolutely not. >> all right. now, have you prepared some notes that are a condensation of the high points of the course of this interrogation? >> i have. >> would you take us through it in a narrative fashion, please? >> okay.

um, there were certain things that stood out throughout the interviews both days, may 7th and may 8th, that ariel castro had talked about. the way the interview was formatted was i thought that we should start with michele knight. she was the first person that was abducted in this case. we then went to amanda berry, and then we went to gina dejesus. as it was formatted, we felt that it would be a lot easier to control the interview and gain the fact if we specifically talked about the incidents surrounding michelle, amanda and gina separately. ultimately, we did that. mr. castro admitted throughout the interview to us on each occasion how he took the girls. he indicated that he had extensive conversations with the girls surrounding the times that he did abduct them in his own words, he used the word

"abduct." he referenced himself in the interview as a sexual predator. i asked him at that point what do you consider was a sexual predator is, and he said somebody that continually repeats offenses. he also, i asked him if-a wunsch -- if it was a one-time incident, how would he reference himself, he refer today that as a sexual afend or. >> did he use the phrase i'm a criminal? >> yes, he did. and to put that in context, he -- i also conducted interviews with his mother, lillian, and also with his brother, o'neill. and to put that statement in context, it was in reference to his brother's lack of involvement in this entire situation. >> from the totality of the investigation, is there any reason to believe that his brothers had any knowledge what he was up to? >> in my opinion, no. >> okay.

and that's important by descriptions from the victims that it was mr. ariel castro and mr. ariel castro alone that conducted this scheme against them. >> yes. >> now, why did he do what he did? be did he tell you why he was abducting young women off the streets of cleveland? >> he did. we initially talked about how he did it, which i explained a little bit earlier, and then we got into why he did it. and his response was to purely satisfy his sexual needs. the circumstances surrounding him taking the girls was that it was to satisfy his sexual needs. >> did he tell you whether or not he knew what he was doing in these acts was wrong? >> absolutely. he -- during the interview he said, you know, other than the fact that i'm a criminal, i knew what i did was wrong, he said that more than once. >> did he explain why he had -- [inaudible] >> he did. we talked about the gun for a

short period of time. if my recollection is correct, he got the gun from his father who had passed away, and it was part of his collection or his possession. he actually in his own words, he said i used, i showed the gun to the girls as a form of control. >> and are you aware that he used the gun as a form of control to play russian roulette with his victims? >> i did learn that. and that that came through the victim statements. the second day i interviewed him i asked him if this actually took place. his response was that he didn't recall, but if the girls said it, then it probably happened. >> all right. and then he played -- [inaudible] he handed an empty revolver to a young woman and said, here, put it to my head, pull the trigger, if it's god's will that i die, i'll die. did he play that game? >> yes, he did. >> what was the purpose in the context described by the victims?

>> i'm not completely familiar on the context of that interview. >> well, was it part of his gamesmanship of seeing who he could trust and how far? >> i believe so, yes. >> now, did you reach a compelling point in this interview where he said something that he admitted he did, in essence, in this cold blood? >> yes, he did. in his own words the first day that i interviewed him, which was may 7th, we were talking about gina's abduction. and that day he, his story was that he had gone to wol very wright to see his daughter, rosie. a short time later he observed rosie walking with gina. they were together, by the time he had turned around, they were separate. his daughter was walking on the south side of lorraine westbound, and gina was continuing to walk eastbound on the south side of lorraine. he said i did a cold-blooded

thing to my daughter that day. he said that i drove past my daughter to get to gina. >> did he ever offer any remorse about his conduct? >> he did not. he was given the opportunity the second day that we interviewed him prior to taking the written statement. i explained to him that i wanted the statement to be in his words and if there was something that he wanted to put in the statement to include an apology, i would accommodate that. he did not take that opportunity, and one of the last things i did say to him on may 8th after taking the statement was is there anything that you, you could say or do to the families that would make things better? there was no response. >> and you see mr. castro in court here today. >> yes. >> would you point to him and describe what he's wearing? >> he's sitting at the table wearing an orange jump suit. >> all right, would the record indicate -- [inaudible] >> it will, but -- >> i understand. >> i think it's unnecessary at

this point. >> showing you state's 17. do you recognize what this cdr represents as a copy of the interrogation? >> it represents there was a video and audio taken of both times that mr. castro was interviewed. >> thank you. no further questions. >> just one question with your permission, judge. >> yes. >> the interviews, sir, those were taken before he had the advice of counsel and lawyers, right? >> yes, they were. >> he just came -- you went to see him, and he completely cooperated with you, didn't he? >> the use the word "completely," i don't think that's accurate. i believe i can describe it. he did cooperate. i felt that some of the elements of the crime were minimized, but that he was very cooperative throughout the interview.

>> talked himself right into conviction, didn't he? >> yes, he did. >> and he wasn't hesitant at all to tell you exactly what happened from his perspective, right? >> no, he wasn't. >> okay. thank you. >> your honor, the state would next present dr. gregory -- [inaudible] [inaudible conversations] >> good morning, doctor, we're going to be moving fast. [inaudible] >> yes, i do. >> and from where? >> the state of virginia. >> p this what specialty? >> psychiatry. >> and do you pursue it rollsally? >> yes. >> have you practiced forensic psychiatry? >> correct. >> for whom? >> university of virginia. >> do you consult with the federal government, for example, the fbi's behavioral analysis unit? >> yes, --

[inaudible] for the fbi's critical intelligent response group. >> and what is that? >> it is the group that contains the negotiators, the profilers, the hostage rescue team with the fbi, the operational position of the fbi. they respond to crisis as well as violent crimes. the national center for analysis of violent crime is located within the critical response group. >> all right. and do you, does that sewer act also -- interact with other agencies such as homeland security and other -- [inaudible] that may be called by entities of the federal government such as courts or agencies? >> correct. >> in the course of your professional career, have you had occasion to interview a large number of serious offenders in terms of developing behavioral profiles for the benefit of educating law enforcement? >> yes, i have. >> and had you previously had past exposure to cases of

captivity, serial kidnapping, sexual abuse in the course of captivity? >> yes, i have. >> now, were you asked by our office to consult with us and review case materials both in our possession and in the possession of the federal bureau of investigation of the state of ohio against ariel castro? >> yes. >> and what, briefly, did you review? >> i reviewed the videotapes, i reviewed transcripts of videos that were done of three women as well as approximately 10-hour interview that was done of mr. castro, other related court documents. i also had the opportunity to interview a former girlfriend of mr. castro. >> okay. was that -- [inaudible] >> yes. >> now, moving -- and did you prepare a report of opinion to our office in connection with that work that you did?

>> yesterday i wrote a letter that summarized my findings. >> and is that state's 24? >> yes, it is. >> all right. i'd like you to take us -- [inaudible] as to the first topic that's henced in your report -- mentioned in your report, the scope and magnitude of arkansas yell castro's crimes are unprecedented. whose choice of words is that? >> my choice of words. >> and why is it that you made that statement? >> i had the opportunity to speak with senior -- [inaudible] behavioral analysis unit, crimes against adults at the fbi, and spoke with them about this case. they had actually toured the house and were very well aware of the case and spoke with them about their own experience, and they confirmed my experience, that this is unprecedented in terms of the number of unrelated victims, the length of cabtivity and the location.

as well as the fact that in most cases of abduction, these are compulsive in nature, and the victim is kept only for a matter of minutes or hours. in this case rather than a short abduction, abduction as a tactic, in fact, there appeared to be a strategy here that extended for a period of many years. and this is quite unusual and, in fact, unprecedented according to the fbi's national center for analysis of violent crime. >> so is there anybody else in the fbi who are your personal professional experience that matches the course of conduct displayed by mr. castro in these -- [inaudible] >> no. >> so he's in a class by himself? >> well, certainly there are cases where there have been longer-term abductions and the like, but the specific nature of this, to abduct and to keep unrelated, this number of

unrelated victims for this length of time in a, within a neighborhood setting is completely unprecedented. >> turning to the next topic within your report, point number two, castro functioned -- [inaudible] selection of victims and methodical use of torture, psychological and environmental manipulation represented a calculated captivity. would you explain that statement? >> yes. mr. castro used, although he had stated in his fbi interview that his selection of victims was impulsive in nature, in fact, there was a pattern of behavior, it's always on the same street. these victims were similar in terms of their stature, their age, they were female, and they also were very trusting. and be his use of ruses in order to get them into his vehicle and actually to get them into his house. once there over the years he

exposed them to significant degradation and violence which has already been described. he enforced control over the most intimate and private functions of their lives which included food, bathing and toileting. so it was really a very complete and comprehensive captivity. >> your next topic is throughout the period of captivity, mr. castro engaged in constant -- [inaudible] of family members, friends and coworkers in order to maintain his roll coover the situation. why was that significant to you as a forensic psychiatrist? >> this was the most significant part of the case, i think, that someone would be able to month after month, year after year be able to devise ways to conceal the situation from family, friends, neighbors.

for a time he maintained a relationship with a girlfriend who was completely unaware that he had these women in the house. his use of wigs which has already been described and his playing of music loudly in the house. he was a musician, but the playing of music sometimes to mask any potential for the women to be heard over the music were examples. i think the use of aliases, making sure the daughter learned the names of these women -- not their real names, but used aliases. all contrived to conceal this protracted aptivity. cap at this time. captivity. >> now, did he, in your review of the materials, make any claims of anyone professionally that he needed medical help treatment or mental health treatment? >> no. >> and, in fact ors not diagnosed by a clinic with having any mental health condition, correct? >> his competency --

[inaudible] was done by one of the most respected forensic psychiatrists in the country who found no psychiatric illness whatsoever. >> all right. now, in this point number three you make mention of a quote by mr. castro that you found -- [inaudible] >> yes. >> what was it? >> i have a few quotes, actually, in that section. one was a statement in this document of 4, april, 2004, which he stated, quote, i live a private life, i function around others like a normal person. and, in fact, he appeared to have done that and was able to live this life around family and friends without them suspecting. there's a -- with regard to duplicity in the document and my discussions with the -- [inaudible]

center for analysis on violent crime they were struck by the fact that in the document he made the statement i had no idea gina was so young, she looks a lot older. but we certainly know that he was aware gina was a classmate of his daughter, his daughter's age and, therefore, to make that statement, i had no idea gina was so young, she looks a lot older, makes -- causes some skepticism, i think, in the minds of those who are reviewing the document as to whether or not he was actually being truthful in writing the document and making the statements that he made. >> based on the entire totality of the information that you've been provided, do you have any professional reason to believe that if ever given his freedom again, mr. castro would not go back a to his old ways? >> no. >> why do you say that? >> well, the duplicity was so complete in terms of his ability to fool his family, his friends, even his girlfriend who he maintained a relationship with

at the time, the fact that he was able to construct this kind of situation day in and day out, as he said in his own statement, living a normal life i think is quite significant. he appeared to certainly have a lot of emotional attachment to his home and had -- whether or not there's truer words with regard to the victims, i think that's a great question. >> thank you. and we would next call dr. frank oxford. >> i have a couple questions, i know we're up against a timeimp. doctor, do you u mr. castro was tested competency only? he wasn't tested for a psychiatric disorder, don't you? >> yes. >> okay. and that was what the doctor who you gave such respect to, dr. resnik, he examined him for one purpose and one purpose only, not sanity at the time of the act. that wasn't the referral by the

court, it was for competency, correct? >> yes, he -- >> competency is different, doctor, than sanity at the time of the doctor. just tell me yes or no. put in your report based on the materials on review, what materials review? >> iof my testimony, the transcripts of the recordings, i reviewed the competency documents, i reviewed court documents related to the apprehension m,was asked to -- i wrote this e yesterday, and i didn't want have the opportunity t inrr here. >> correct. >> okay.tter that allegedly wrote? >> yes.

>> okay. d letter help. he talked about a sexual it -- bother to get it. child, right? >> y. to >> good morning, doctor. >> and, docr, johns hopkins medical school, of michigan, i'm a psychiatrist a l and the law enforcement, stress,mental s disorder as well as -- [inaudible] >> y. diagnosis traumatic stress disorder. regret that --

[inaudible]ani have extenveeriee in working with people who have been seriously>> do did you bece involved in the ariel castro, ar services -- [i] by the cuyahoga office? haves. an opportunity to review documentation prior to making, issuing an >> what commic that you -- [inaudible] >> ins of the victims. iviewed anex --

[inaudible] during the period of captivity. i interviewed people who interviewed the victims. i didn't interview them directly out of respect for the privacy wishes of them and their attorneys -- [inaudible] i reviewed the examination be of mr. castro, i reviewed his examination, i met with his daughter and had a face to face interview with her. i did what i thought was necessary and sufficient the develop a sense of what these survivors went through and what they face in the future. >> and, doctor, did you provide a letter to mr.-- [inaudible] with regards to your findings? >> yes, i did. >> can and what, number one,

what were your findings? how were these women hurt? >> well, your honor, these women were hurt in ways, and i boiled it down to three. first is repeated episodes that were terrifying and that were the kinds of trauma that we meant when we defined the posttraumatic stress disorder, the kind of trauma that you don't escape for years and sometimes a lifetime afterwards. smells, touches, they come back to you when you're asleep, when you're awake, when you're in the twilight zone between sleep and wakefulness. and sometimes you feel you're going crazy because you find things aren't working the way they should be. it's not normal memory. this is the brain in a different type of circuitry. so it is medical, it is physical, it is simply an

extreme anxiety. they have that. that was terror-induced state of mind. they had an entirely different dimension that i would call degradation, defilement, dehumanization. not quite the same as being placed in high arousal shock, but being treated like an animal. systematically and relentlessly deprived of your sense of self, your sense of dignity, your connection to others. and that has to do with not having access to sanitary facilities, the way you're fed, the way you're changed, all of that. for a long, long time. and then finally they were deprived, they were deprived of mother, of family, of home, of

school, of ten years in which you make a transition from being a young woman to being a woman. and that kind of deprivation isn't the same as -- [inaudible] and it plays with your ability to know who to trust. this is the stage in which the human being is developing the capacity for real intimacy. this was not real intimacy. this was a perversion of intimacy. >> and, doctor, did he do additional damage through some of his actions against -- [inaudible] >> well, of course. he deliberately aborted, he -- whether he believed it in his own mind or whether he feigned believing it, he tried to produce the belief that this

daughter was a love child, not the product of forced sex in captivity. and when that happens, there is something that goes on in our minds, and for a period of time we lack a real appreciation of what is real and what isn't. we become bonded to the person who adepresses against us. that's the -- [inaudible] syndrome. i can explain it very quickly. >> go ahead. >> when you are suddenly captured and in a moment you realize i am in the presence of someone who can kill me and who makes me feel as though i will be killed, you're made like an infant. and then when you're treated so that you can't eat, you can't sleep, you can't use a toilet, you can't move without explicit

permission, you are -- the word would be infantallized. little by little you're given what it takes to survive. and in your mind consciously or unconsciously denied that this is the person who did all of this to me. and you're starting to feel the way you did as a little baby with your mother who is the first source of nourishment. so the body awe signs to that person -- assigns to that person the feelings you would have to your own biological mother. that's the syndrome. it's not something that you're doing very consciously, and i've interviewed scores and scores of people who have had the syndrome in different circumstances. be and they're like these victims. >> and, doctor, how did these women cope? what were you able to determine by their -- [inaudible] by the information provided to

you that they were able to cope for 13,226 days before their escape? >> first of all, among them are marvelous, compelling examples of resilience, of imagination, of humanity. i would start with michelle. what in, what an extraordinary human being. she served as doctor, nurse, pediatrician. she did the delivery. she didn't have a child herself, and she did it under -- [inaudible] circumstances. and when that little baby, she breathed into that baby. she brought life to that child, and she also had circumstances in which she interposed herself so that gina wouldn't get the assault, and she took it.

optimism, so, they, part of this was syndrome, but part of it are the gifts of personality and character that they had. >> and, doctor, what is their future? >> well, i see very good things about them. as a doctor who treats i want to be on the side of optimism and encouragement and hope for them. but the damage that was done does not go away. they have life sentences.

this was not trivial. i think they will, with the love and support of this whole community and what they bring to the table they have a good chance to have a good life. that doesn't mean that they will ever be free of the damage that was done. >> would awe agree, doctor, that their injuries permanent? >> yes. >> no question, your honor. >> recess for 10 minutes. we'll return at 11:50. jon: judge michael russo there, calling for a recess in the sentencing hearing of that man, you see there in the orange jumpsuit, ariel castro. the former bus driver in cleveland, ohio, who is going to be sentenced today,

well, probably today, to life plus a thousand years. you heard some of the testimony there by the experts in the criminal investigators who were brought forward there at the end. the psychiatrist, dr. frank okber. about, saying those three women held captive in ariel's castros homes have been given a life sentence already. the damage that has been done to them, the emotional toil, the psychological problems that he inflicted on them, during those 10 years in his captivity is going to be in essence a life sentence for each of them. i'm jon scott along with jenna lee. joining us now, jonah spill bore, a formerer prosecutor and criminal defense attorney. rebecca rose woodland, a trial attorney also with us. we're joined on the phone by dr. brian russell a psychologist and attorney. dr. russell, i want to start with you, because i thought

that testimony from dr. okberg at the beginning or at the end before they broke for the, the break, was so compelling. he does say he wants to be optimistic about the future for these women. that's what we all want. what are the chances that they can somehow come to enjoy something resembling a normal life after what they have been through? >> well, i want to share the doctor's optimism because as we saw with jaycee dugard, even when it's tough for most people watching to imagine somebody coming out of a situation and restoring any kind of decent quality of life, it does happen. people ask mow right after the jaycee dugard case came to light, how well she ever go on? i explain at the time while there is no manual for it the resilience of human beings is a fascinating and

wonderful thing. at the same time i agree with the doctor that, you know, there's an impossibility to restoring people's lost years of their lives and there is really no way to put a price on that. no matter how many years we lock castro up, it will never restore to those women what he has taken from them. so there is really no punishment too severe for ariel castro. jenna: punishment at least is taken off the table. that is one of the things we talked about a few weeks ago whether or not there would be a plea deal in this case. the death penalty is off the table. that's why we're here today in the sentencing hearing, to find out what will justice look like in this world for ariel castro. jonna, your thoughts on this. we're getting back and forth between the prosecution and ariel castro's lawyers as well. when the possibility is a life sentence, plus a thousand years, what are they really talking about

today? what are they trying to settle here? >> you know, that's the funny part about this sentencing hearing. normally when you have a sentencing hearing like this, they're usually is an opportunity for the defense to say, you know, let's lessen this to life plus 500 years. in this case it is just doesn't matter this guy is going away for life with the no possibility of parole. so it makes this sentencing hearing really for the benefit of the victims. i think they're going to feel like they're having a day in court even though they're not having a day in court but they will feel like they got heard. the public gets to hear how sick and twisted this ariel castro was. and that's it. at the end of the day it is not going to change this man's fate. jenna: the man on your screen there is ariel castro, taking a look at folks inside the courtroom. a 10-minute break here, the judge says as this sentencing hearing continues. we're going to continue our conversation as well. a lot of darkness here that we heard but also a moment of light from that doctor, with all of his

qualifications, the final gentleman there that was on the stand, with all his years and years of expertise, had a moment on the stand where he was really marveling at the extraordinary spirit of michelle knight and that was a moment we will probably never forget. a few other photos to show you after the break. we'll take a quick commercial break here. quick pause, and be right back with more coverage here on "happening now." ouncer ] these days, a small business can save by sharing. like carpools... polly wants to know if we can pick her up. yeah, we can make room. yeah. [ male announcer ] ...office space. yes, we're loving this communal seating. it's great. [ male announcer ] the best thing to share? a data plan. at&t mobile share for business. one bucket of data for everyone on the plan, unlimited talk and text on smart phones. now, everyone's in the spirit of sharing. hey, can i borrow your boat this weekend? no. [ male announcer ] share more. save more. at&t mobile share for business. ♪

jon: there is a brief break in the cleveland, ohio courtroom, where ariel castro the former bus driver who has admitted and kidnapping and holding three young women in his home in cleveland for 10 years or more, he is facing a sentencing hearing today. 937 counts have been lodged

against him. depending what the judge decides he could go to prison for life plus 1000 years. as jenna lee was saying earlier the death penalty has been taken off the table for the man in the orange jumpsuit there but he will go to prison and rot there until he dies. one of the questions is, how, how will he be treated in prison by other prisoners? generally, those who are abusive of women are not well-regarded in prison and he might have a very short life expectancy if he is mingle abouted in with a general prison inmate population. but at this point he is in shackles there in the jumpsuit. joining us once again jonna spill spilbor, former prosecutor and defense attorney. rebecca woodland and and dr. brian russell. take us through what transpired here. this could have been a death

penalty case because prosecutors say he caused miscarriage of babies by punching these women after he had impregnated them. why did prosecutors decide to take the death penalty off the table? >> that is really good question, jon. the in ohio a any. >> in ohio any feet tall death is a death penalty material. he was up and would have most likely been convicted of the death penalty in ohio with the extreme of these circumstances. there was a plea put on the table. we'll take the death penalty off but you plead guilty to every single count of kidnapping abuse, everything. which he did to, i guess to save his life but as you said prior, you know, his life in prison, his expectancy isn't too long there, jon. but the reality is, what happened was the prosecutor said, we want to be sure, nothing goes wrong and this man rots in prison as he

will now. so he accepted the deal because he was afraid, the opposite side of a plea deal, if you don't take it, death penalty, by, you know, awful means in ohio. so he said, i will take the plea deal. the prosecution now is sure that they have insured the victim's justice. they got justice in this case. what they're doing now today is showing that. jon: we might, might, hear from one of those victims later. the defense is actually going to be calling some witnesses after they finish their recess. we'll be back with more coverage in just a moment.

jenna: welcome back to "happening now." we'll take you back to the courtroom in ohio where the sentencings hear something underway for ariel castro. he is the man of course who held three women captive in his home for more than a decade.

really, today, jon, has been a day where we heard some of the details of crimes that are truly hard to repeat. and hard to, quite frankly hard to imagine. jon: even in his initial police statements the investigators say he basically admitted to kidnapping these women to satisfy his sexual needs. he was generally honest with them, they say. although he didn't entirely seem to own up to acknowledge some of the horrors of what he had done. jenna: you can hear a little bit in the defense today. we expect just to catch you up. here is what happened so far. we've heard from the state. they have put a variety of different experts on the stand along with law enforcement officials talking about how this case has come about. just for some reference, it has been less than 90 days since we woke up to the news that these women have suddenly been found. so, the state has presented their side in the sentencing hearing. we now expect it hear from the defense. it's a 10-minute recess. so they could be back at any

moment. after the defense brings their experts, we expect to have a victim's statement. we expect that victim's statement to be from michelle knight. one of the young women that you saw in the youtube video a few weeks ago when it was released. you might remember and hopefully we have some video as the court looks like about to get ready to get back in session. the youtube video showed three young women in their resilience talking a little bit about how much they're thanking the community for of the support. the woman on your screen there is gina dejesus. she was the final woman that was kidnapped and one of the things we saw today, jon, for the very first time is the image in our head of gina dejesus before she was be a ducked and the gina dejesus from the youtube video but we actually got a look at what gina looked like when the authorities picked her hupp. jon: that center photo. look at hollowness of the

eyes. we believe this was taken on or perhaps the day after, i believe this was the day of their rescue. in that center photo to show so much. jenna: gives you some perspective about what these women have gone through. we'll take a quick break. court is expected to be back in session. we'll hear from the defense and ariel castro himself. so stay with us. more coverage here on fox news.

jon: the cuyahoga county courthouse in cleveland, ohio, the man in the orange jumpsuit man one of the most reviled men in america right now, ariel castro. convicted or has pleaded guilty to 937 counts in connection with the abductions and imprisonment of three, well, formerly young women, now grown women. and one of them you see sitting there in the courtroom in that, how would you describe it -- jenna: a patterned blouse right in the middle there. jon: that is michele knight, the

first of his victims. she, we believe, is actually going to testify as part of a victim impact statement. she was the oldest of all of his victims, oldest when she was kidnapped and oldest now, obviously. we expect we will be hearing from her. jenna: the final psychiatrist that was on the stand talked a little bit about michelle as being extraordinary, extremely courageous because she's the one that for the rest of the women served as not only a midwife, a pediatrician, but also their protecter in some cases as well. he really had that moment, jon, where as an expert he was reflecting on how someone survives in such conditions and rises, seemingly above it all, to serve the other people that are in the same terrible circumstances. she's the one in the video that talks a little bit about her faith as well, the youtube video released a few weeks ago,

talking about her faith in the god and how she's been through hell and back and that it will not, it are not take her of her spirit. so we expect to hear from her in just a little bit, but ariel castro we expect to hear from first. jon: amanda berry and gina dejesus, we do not know, but we don't see them in the courtroom, and it is our belief that michele knight is going to speak sometime after castro does about the impact on those ten stolen years. and one can only imagine what she's going to have to say. we also saw some of the photos that police have taken inside the house. apparently, the women were chained most will of the time we they were in there, chains and shackles were run in some cases through the walls, electrical cords run to provide ventilation for fans and so forth. and, apparently, the word is that these women were generally only fed one meal per day. finish you can imagine the dependence that came to exist between them and ariel castro.

he was the guy who could unlock the chains, he was the guy who brought the food. and as dr. ochberg was explaining, that leads to in cases a severe case of stockholm syndrome where you come to identify with your captor almost as though he were a maternal figure because he is the one who's providing you life. just unbelievable what these women have gone through, but we will perhaps hear more from michele knight when she takes the stand. jenna: one of the other psychiatrists described the scope of the crime that ariel castro committed as unprecedented saying he was a hoarder of humans and the degradation and violence and control of his victims is at an unprecedented level. joining us as well just as we're working through this case, rebecca rose woodland is with us, as well as jonna -- [inaudible] helping us with the legal aspects of all of this. jonna, as someone who has experience on the criminal defense side, ariel castro is

supposed to speak. what do his lawyers tell him to say at this point? >> he's got a right to speak. it's not going to change anything, and his lawyers hopefully have coached, for lack of a better word, ariel castro to say nothing but i am sorry. at this point this isn't about saving his own butt at this point. what he needs to say is something that's going to give the victims some sort of relief going forward. and if anything other than i am truly sorry comes out of that sick, twisted creep's mouth when he's giving his statement, the judge should cut him off, because this is no longer about him. it's about those three women. jon: dr. russell, i'd like to ask dr. brian russell who's with us on the phone, i'd like to ask you about his demeanor in the court. he's been almost catatonic, staring at the floor, barely speaking. you could barely see his eyes. today he looks much livelier, and there's almost a twinkle in his eye or something. i don't quite know how to describe it, but what do you make of the way he appears?

>> well, as a psychologist i've noticed the same thing that you have noticed, that he has seemed very subdued, very submissive in previous appearances, and now he does seem to be a little bit more activated, a little more agitated. it could be anxiousness about having to speak here in a little bit, it could be at some level -- you've got to understand, i mean, this is a, this is most likely a psychopath, and there could even be some level of enjoyment of the prospect of becoming the center of attention in these women's lives lives and in all r lives for a few moments this morning. jenna: it's been interesting that every time the defense has interrupted a little bit of the state presenting their experts or had their opportunity to speak, they've gone back to pointing out that psychiatrists haven't spent a great deal of time with ariel castro. again, it's only been 87 days since these -- everyone found these girls, that they were actually rescued.

and so the argument from the defense is that they've only ruled that ariel castro is competent, but they haven't fully diagnosed him even though the psychiatrists are saying it doesn't appear he has any sort of mental illness at all. how do you see that discourse? >> well, i think that this is an excellent example of, for our viewers of what evil looks like, you know? it exists. a lot of people like to think that somehow there's some kind of mental illness explanation for this behavior, and really lots of times there's use the wm not using it in a religious sense, i'm using it in the sense of being a rejection of one's humanity, a choice to abandon one's intellect which is that capacity we all have to differentiate right from wrong with reason, and that's what separates us from animals, and to act instead as an animal, you know? to give in to emotional or psychological impulses in ways

that gratify the self but are profoundly destructive to others. jenna: and you don't have to be mentally ill -- >> absolutely not. correct. jenna: interesting. we see some action in court. we had heard initially that ariel castro would go before the victim statement. we're hearing a few different conflicting reports. if you're just joining us, the judge around 11:40 or so said that there was going to be a ten minute recess, and now we're back in court, so let's go ahead and listen in. >> thank you, your honor. [inaudible] this afternoon the most important part is the victims' impact statement. all three victims, two of them are represented by family members and one is going to be shown as present here in the courtroom and will address -- [inaudible] sylvia cologne who is representing gina dejesus and accompanied by the attorney for

the family. >> would they be comfortable at the podium, or would they like to be up here? >> they, i believe, are going to stand in front of you, your honor -- [inaudible] [background sounds] >> good afternoon, ma'am. >> my name is sylvia cologne. and i am a cousin and spokesperson for the de jesus family. we have enjoyed our low-key lives and pray we can continue to savor our privacy. on behalf of my entire family, we would like to thank the honorable judge, michael

russo -- [inaudible] prosecutors and staff as well as the defense team for an accelerated resolution to the castro case. today we will close this chapter of our lives. family members, we love you. to our friends, neighbors, fbi, cleveland police, attorney henry -- [inaudible] and our -- [inaudible] the great city of cleveland and too many others to name, thank you and god bless you. for nine long years, you've been by our side encouraging and supporting us. we shall never forget you. you are now part of our family. to the castro family, we are saddened that you are burdened with this horror and willfortuno these atrocities. please know that we do not hold

you accountable and pray that you can one day be whole again. continue to love and support one another. we promise you that with -- [inaudible] you will be triumphant. our family recognizes it is not for us to judge or determine any punishment. only a higher power can do that. today is the last day we want to speak or talk about this. these events will not hold a place in our thoughts or our hearts. we will continue to live and love. we stand before you and promise you that our beloved family member -- [inaudible] she laughs, she swims, she dances, and more importantly, she loves and --

[inaudible] she will finish school, go to college, fall in love, and if she chooses, she will get married and have children. she is what we will continue to put in -- [inaudible] she was not a victim, but is a survivor. her insurmountable will to prevail is the only story worth discussing. we continue, we ask that you continue to give her and our family privacy as we continue this journey back into society. to ariel castro -- [speaking spanish]

gracias and thank you. >> thank you, ma'am. >> your honor, next is beth serrano companied by the attorney for the family and her husband, mr. serrano, on behalf of amanda berry. >> good morning, your honor. >> good morning, mr. and mrs. reynolds. welcome. what would you like to say? >> hi, my name is beth serrano, i am amanda berry's sister. can[inaudible] even if i wanted to talk about it, it is impossible to put into words. i thought it was forever. and we lost my mother forever. she died not knowing --

[inaudible] most loving people in the world. it is impossible to put into words how much it hurts. amanda is -- [inaudible] she is strong, beautiful inside and out and is doing better every day. she is not just my only sister, but the best friend i have, the best person i know. she does not want to talk about these things, she has not talked about it even with me, and she does not want others to talk about these things. the main reason she does not want anyone to talk about -- [inaudible] or be forced to talk about these things is because she has a young daughter. he would love to be the person -- she would love to be the person -- [inaudible] when to tell her daughter, how to tell her daughter certain things. when people say things and file things in court, it is public, it is written and talked about by people we don't know. amanda's concern is that her daughter will hear about things or read about things said by the wrong people the wrong way at the wrong time.

before amanda thinks the time is right to tell her, her daughter. my sister has asked me to say the same thing she has been saying since this case started: please respect her privacy. she does not want other people to talk or write about what happened. now that there will be no trial, there doesn't seem to be any reason at all why people cannot do what she asks. amanda could not control anything for a long time. please let her control, have control over this so she can protect her daughter. she will do anything to protect her daughter. she also asked me to say that she is grateful this case is over. she wanted me to say thank you to the people that have supported her and our family. including james -- [inaudible] adam kimmel and every one at the jones day law firm, the fbi, the de jesus family, the entire community and everyone else who continues to stand by our side. we appreciate everything -- we appreciate everyone's support

and kindness. thank you. >> thank you, ma'am. >> your honor, michele knight will address you. she's accompanied by her attorney, kathy -- [inaudible] and a member of the -- [inaudible] lisa marielo. >> thank you. [background sounds] >> good amp, ma'am. >> good afternoon. my name is michele knight, and i would like to tell you what the

past ten years have been like for me. -- [inaudible] i wondered if i was ever going to see them again. he was only two and a half years old when i was taken. in my heart. i cried every night. i was so alone. i worried about what would happen to me and the other girls every day. days never got shorter, days turned into night, night turned into day. years turned into eternity. i knew nobody cared about me. he told me that my family didn't

care -- [inaudible] even on holidays. christmas was the most traumatic day because i never got to spend it with my son. nobody should ever have to go through what i went through or anybody else, not even worst enemies. gina was my teammate. she never let me fall, i never let her fall. he nursed me back to health when i was dying from his abuse. my friendship with her is the only thing that was good out of this situation. we said we will someday make it out alive, and we did. ariel castro, i remember all the times that you came home talking about what everybody else did wrong and act like you wasn't doing the same thing.

you said at least i didn't kill you. you took 11 years of my life away, and i have got it back. i spent 11 years in hell. now your hell is just beginning. i will overcome all this that happened, but you have -- [inaudible] hell for eternity -- you will face hell from eternity. from this moment on, i will not let you define me or who i am. you have lived -- i will live on, you will die a little every day. as you think about 11 years and the atrocities you inflicted on us. hypocriteically going -- what does god think of you hypocritely going to church every sunday, coming home to

torture us? penalty will be so much easier -- death penalty would be so much easier. you don't deserve that. you deserve life in prison. i can forgive you, but i will never forget. i will prevail and help others that have suffered at the hands of others. writing this statement gave me the strength to be a stronger woman and know that there's good, there's more good than evil. i know that there is a lot of people going through hard times, be i we need to reach out a hand and hold them and let them though that they're being heard. after 11 years i've finally been heard, and it's liberating. thank you all. i love you. god bless you. >> thank you, ms. knight.

>> you were going to cover some of the sentencing criteria. >> yes, your honor. pursuant to criminal rule -- [inaudible] 29.11 -- [inaudible] and 2929.12 -- [inaudible] judge, as you well know, the principles are to punish the offender and to protect -- [inaudible] this case speaks volumes with regard to the defendant's action. p if we look at the harm that has been caused to to the victim, the only to thing i need to tell you is 13,226 days of captivity. his actions of luring these victims, vulnerable victims, a victim that wanted to see her son, luring that woman for

puppies and then keeping her held captive for the next 11 years. luring the other two young women, their ages 16 and 14, that is something you need to take into consideration. under the guise of coming to see his own flesh and blood, his daughter and then holding them in captivity for the next ten years for amanda and nine years for gina. he locked the doors. he kept them chained. he used dirty socks when they screamed for help. there was duct tape and motorcycle helmets. that's what you need to consider, your honor. repeated patterns of sexual abuse, physical abuse, laying a hand on a woman -- on anybody -- is a crime in this country.

and he repeatedly did it for his own benefit. that's what needs to be considered, the impact on the victims. slapping them, punching them, stomping them on their stomachs. he dictated, he dictated what they ate, when they slept, when they could talk, when they could interact. he dictated when they could go to the bathroom and if that commode would even be empty based on their defiant behavior. he tormented them by allowing them to watch their vigils where members of our community circled around the families looking for them on their anniversary dates, and he even had the audacity to attend them and to talk to the family members knowing full well that these women were in his captivity. they were right underneath his roof. again, what kind of impact on

this victim? as michelle just told you, he would go to church on sundays and come home and torment them. he told them that they had to respect their elders. he was their elder, and they had to do exactly what he wanted, when he wanted and whatever he wanted. he bartered food. he gave them money, and then he took it away. he made them clean to earn their keep. he provided no medical attention. from the oldest victim to the youngest. a child was born in a swimming pool. that impact alone, your honor, that child wasn't breathing. and but for a young woman who

had the courage to breathe life into that child, that child may not even be here. and to exacerbate that, he burned -- [inaudible] the placenta in the refrigerator as a momento, and then he discarded it when they were getting close to him being caught. brazen behavior, your honor. giving the appearance that he was a good guy in the community, that he would take out the 6-year-old child and represent her as the daughter of his girlfriend. that is brazen behavior of a cold, self-absorbed human being that does not need to see the light of day.

you as a judge are entrusted with the powers of sentencing. this is a court of law. it is not one of mercy. this court doesn't impart mercy, only god gives mercy. his actions have spoken so loud in this community, and by this plea we hope that anybody else who challenges law enforcement or anybody else finish. [inaudible] that will prevent this kind of behavior from ever happening again. i think michelle said it best to you: it was an eternity, your honor, and that's what he deserves in his sentencing. the minimum is a thousand years, but the court can go higher. and the reason for our hearing today was to give you a picture of what happened in 2207

seymour. it was by no means in any way to disparage, to humiliate or to embarrass or to tell the story to a child. it was information that's being given to a court of law to impose -- [inaudible] thank you. >> thank you. [inaudible] >> no, your honor. ultimately, i think that the statement that -- [inaudible] reflects our true feelings about the ultimate presentation that was made and in our opinion we feel that it was inappropriate inappropriate -- as well as some of the other family members that were here on behalf of the victims. these were really private matters, and i understand the

points for sentencing purposes, but the sentence was agreed upon, and mr. castro waives his appellate rights to challenge any of the facts in the sentencing of this case. this is a highly unusual case. he has agreed to life without parole and will suffer as a result of the plea. and the thousand years, minimum of a thousand years is also seems to be superfluous to life without parole, but we understand the reason why the prosecutors concluded that -- [inaudible] thank you. >> in terms of law, the court has a lot of discretion under the sentencing statutes in terms of timing, but i don't think that the presentation by the prosecutor -- although more lengthy than what we would ordinarily have in a case -- the

facts of this case, the extent of the crimes are unprecedented in this county. and -- [inaudible] in our court of appeals -- [inaudible] 14c4, and i have to make specific findings of those factors. and since there was -- [inaudible] all the facts and could have applied them -- [inaudible] [audio difficulty] jenna: we've had a couple of those interruptions, a little hiccup there, and we'll continue to try to go back to the judge,

judge michael russo, who's speaking at this time. sometimes we get some of these interruptions, and we'll try to smooth it out. we've had a few of them, and we've been able to get through it, but looks like at least at this time it's a little bit repeated. let's go back to jonna who's standing by as well as rebecca, some lawyers we have on set, some of our favorite lawyers and friends helping us work through a really difficult case. just tell us exactly what's happening at this moment, rebecca. we had the victim statements, we had the state give their side, you heard a little bit from the defense. what now? >> well, what's happening now is although we did come to a plea deal, we've heard that the defendant agreed to a plea deal with the prosecution, so the judge then has to sentence. so the judge has to enforce that deal, and that's what we're hearing right now where we had some of the hiccups. looks like we're back on? jon: yeah. we have a better feed now so from the courtroom, we'll go back to it. >> does mr. castro allowed --

wants to make a statement, that'll be the end of it. thank you. >> your honor, thank you. as you've noted, these are unprecedented crimes, call for an unprecedented sentence. the -- [inaudible] the court's ability to sign the -- [inaudible] based on your experience, your understanding of the law and do convictions before you. the presentation and the facts that now that there is a record of the fact demonstrates the defendant's depravity and the time appropriate. we agree to a recommended minimum sentence of a thousand years. there are 9,245 years available, $11 million, 650,000 plus available in fines. we do not want this man to profit now or in the future from

this crime. we will, we appreciate whatever sentence you deem appropriate. he took advantage of young children with a plan, a prior calculated criminal act -- [inaudible] the ultimate -- [inaudible] three or four individual victims and to their families, the anguish they experienced is almost indescribable. in these short few hours here, we tried to help, through the record, help this court grasp and get a feel of the extraordinary deprivation that these victims incurred. morning she wakes up in the hospital, looks out the window. her first day, first time she getting to see the

sunrise. it is a cloudy day. it was beautiful to her. that was her first opportunity in over a decade to see what the outside looked like. to see what green looked like. it seemed like what this man did, as a manipulator and then and now it continues. we heard this claim, sudden claim that he suffered from mental illness. the, there is absolutely no value to that claim. no psychiatric disorder is noted in dr. resnik's, there is no psychiatric diagnosis. he has no psychiatric excuses. he is responsible. doesn't a man like he or bundy are have a problem? they sure do. as a sexual predator he sure is. as a sex warm predator should he seek help? he sure should. he shouldn't engage in such

activity. he had no excuse. he has made a series of attempts to plame others. in fact he takes no responsibility. he blames others. he blames the children and the victims and now women who entered for getting into his car. he constantly berated them for listening to him. for not doing what they were told. not doing what they were taught in school. he, takes no responsibility. he has no sincere remorse. the only reason he pled to this crime and agreed to this sentence was to avoid a death penalty sentence for himself, for no one else. the, we, we thought we heard the evidence of the methodical tortures and issues that he caused and the harm he has caused the victims. we'll not elaborate on it.

it was, the victims themselves and the doctors and the other witnesses have demonstrated that. but his attitude is what i want to comment on. before we hear from him again, he said if he had to do it he would do it all over again. he doesn't believe he did anything wrong. the, that is what is the ultimate issue -- [inaudible] there is no remorse and that is a factor as the court well knows in the evaluation. the minors and victims and their courage and they how they survived, how they worked together. as we heard, he made, what we heard today, to, to survive the ordeal, to live to testify, to live to a

point of survive to go back to their families, those that were left. amanda, of course her own mother died in the meantime. she sadly wrote to her in her diary on a regular basis to her mother. then she had to write to her deceased mother. she had to sit there and tell her loving mother when she told her, she had to learn of her own mother's funeral. and she had to learn this man, the guy who went to church on sunday, comes home and rapes them. this man had the audacity to go the vigil. they, allows them to see it on tv, their vigil. then he has the audacity to go to gina's mother when he sees it online and facebook to go get a poster to post of his, that he knows her mother is looking for, begging for, praying for and he has it in his own home

and he is torturing her. this man deserves as many years as much punishment as this court can possibly give him. we thank the courage of the victims. they inspired us all. they inspired law enforcement. they have inspired the prosecutors and they have inspired their families and they have inspired all victims in the future. thank you, your honor. >> thank you. >> your honor, before proceeding i would offer a binder with our marked exhibits in support of the plea agreement. i will note that the state maintains will be maintained by the state of ohio. -- introduction of the material, your honor. >> thank you. >> judge, specifically we object to -- [inaudible] 17, which is the interrogation of mr. castro by the police officer. it is my understanding that

the only thing that would be introduced at this hearing was the documents i presented by believe idec tiff dave jacobs. >> we met the other day about this, correct? >> yes. and not the actual video itself. [inaudible] >> do you have the synopsis in here? >> yes. [inaudible] >> provide the synopsys you read, a less volatile version of events, that would be accepted by the court. i will return the dvd to you of the actual interview. >> that's fine. >> exhibit 11, your honor, is a three-page written statement of mr. castro. that represents a synopsys of the second interview. >> your honor, the statement of -- is in no way a synopsys of more than an hour of interrogation of mr. castro. mr. castro, i may be --

statement. >> you seem to be offering under the impression i don't know what this case is about. >> i want a future reader of this record to know what it is about, judge. 20 years to now. this guy is the isings up appeals. he will appeals -- [inaudible] >> [inaudible] if it is in here, you will have to take it out at the end because, i can't substitute that -- >> [inaudible] >> thank you. all right. mr. weintraub, we heard additional information. the, anything you wish to say on behalf of your clients? i will go to the issue of sentencing mitigation. >> i believe that mr. castro is prepared to make a statement. >> he is, your honor.

>> i want to see if either of you had anything else. >> no, your honor. thank you. >> mr. castro, we had spoken earlier and you were aware you had a right to make a statement. either with respect respect to sentencing or by way of mitigation or punishment. what would you like to say? >> your honor, first of all i'm a very emotional person so i will try to get it out. i stated before that was [inaudible] this led me to -- my whole life. eventually i held jobs, i always worked.

what i'm trying to get at these people are trying to paint me as a monster and i'm not a monster. i'm sick. my sexual problems are so bad on my mind and it is repulsive. but eventually i married. i had four children. live ad normal life. i still -- [inaudible] touching myself and [inaudible] i believe i am a -- to the point it really makes me involve in something i just don't realize what i'm doing is wrong.

i know it is not an excuse. i'm not trying to make excuses here because i know, i told -- [inaudible] i'm not contesting it. i -- for a long time, 25, 30 years. and -- not trying to say i am. i'm not a happy person inside. i worked for 21 years. had a very good job. then i started slacking off, trying to get fired because i know it was just too much. this job is too stressful and coming home to my -- [inaudible]

you about i have, he never had a record until i met my children's mother. my son was on here the other day saying how abusive i was. i was never abusive until i met her. in the end before she passed away -- [inaudible] so i what i'm trying to say is what she is saying i was a wife-beater, that is wrong because this habit, because i koirnt get her to quiet down. i would continually tell her, the children are right there. would you please, she was responding to me, i don't care. she keep going and, situation would escalate until the point where she

was -- that is how i reacted. on her. after 12 years we separated and i was -- [inaudible] at that time i continued to practice the art of masturbation and -- [inaudible] it was -- [inaudible] hours a day nonstop. when i was finished i would collapse. i picked up the first victim i wasn't, i didn't even plan it. it wasn't something that look i like i was thinking

about it. i didn't do that. that day -- [inaudible] i heard her something about [inaudible] and i reacted on that. but when i got on that day, oh, i'm going to try to find some women because, it wasn't my character, your honor. but i know it's wrong and i'm trying to make excuses. i know it was wrong and -- [inaudible] i'm just saying, the -- [inaudible] i'm not a fighting person. drove a school bus. had a family. i do have respect for human life because every time i came home everybody -- the situation, funny as it may

sound, my daughter, she -- [inaudible] she never saw any violence going on in the house, your honor. anybody would question her she will tell you the opposite. [inaudible] she had a -- life. i tried to give her a normal life. i would take her to church. i would come home and just be normal -- [inaudible] i would come home and meet her, meet them. it was totally wrong, your honor, because as i said before, i'm not a violent person. i know what i did was wrong

but i'm not a violent person. i simply kept them there it to -- [inaudible] i know -- [inaudible] i don't understand how it -- [inaudible] i was -- [inaudible] i didn't know who she was. i saw her -- [inaudible] i didn't know know she was gina's friend. they went to school together but -- [inaudible] she got into my vehicle, i don't know what it was.

i don't blame her. i'm not trying to -- [inaudible] i'm trying to make a point, i was not violent predator trying to make me a monster. i'm not a monster. i'm a normal person. i'm just sick. i have an addiction just like alcoholic as an addiction. i have something that i can not control the addiction. just like i can not control my addiction. but, -- [inaudible] went on now -- con send walls. these allegations of i'm being forceful on them, that is totally wrong. there was time they would even ask me for sex, many times. and i learned -- [inaudible]

had multiple partners before me, all three of them. but, that's basically it. i just want to say for the record that i'm not a monster. i did not prey on these women. i act on my sexual addiction because of my sexual addiction. as god is my witness i never beat these women like they're trying to say that i did. i never tortured them. finally i want to apologize to the victims. i know their -- gina dejesus,

michelle knight. i'm truly sorry for what happened. and i'm trying to answer my own questions. i don't know why --. i had everything going on -- [inaudible] i had a job. and a home. and -- [inaudible] i had everything going on, your honor. i have a good history of working, providing. i just hope that find it in your heart, because we had a lot of things going on at

home. and you see the video of amanda this -- that is proof that this girl was not -- torture. [inaudible] if that was true, -- [inaudible] i'm seeing gina and -- [inaudible] she looks normal. she acts normal. a person that was tortured wouldn't act normal, they would act withdrawn and everything. on the contrary, she is the opposite. she is happy. [inaudible] i haven't seen much of michelle. michelle since day one, no one missed her. [inaudible]

i -- [inaudible] when they questioned, they questioned my daughter, that's okay. they haven't questioned me. i'm her father. if they would have questioned me -- [inaudible] so, and also dave forgot to mention i did mention to him that i was -- [inaudible] i am truly sorry to the families. michelle, amanda.

all the -- [inaudible] i guess, i asked my family, brought her back to her family also including -- [inaudible] i want to apologize to the state of ohio. city of cleveland, putting a dark cloud over this city. i just want to apologize to everyone who was touched by me. but i do also want to mention that -- there was harmony at home. i was a good person. [inaudible] i hope they find it in their hearts to forgive me and to --

[inaudible] so they can see how their addiction takes over their lives. so again, i'm sorry to all the victims and primarily my daughter, because i know that, [inaudible] when she was born i know that -- [inaudible] thank god nothing bad happened because because -- [inaudible] i said to moye self -- [inaudible]

your honor, i know that that as part of the problems i have, start talking and i just go blank. i apologize to you, your honor, for bringing this case into your courtroom. again, thank you for, thank you everyone and i'm sorry for everything. i know, judgment day when god comes and judges me, [inaudible]

i don't know how he is going to judge me. i don't know how -- [inaudible] so, again, thank you, your honor. thank you everyone. i'm sorry -- [inaudible] >> thank you, your honor. >> thank you. you have before you your plea agreement. if you recall on page 10 part of the agreement was that you would execute all necessary documents and perform all acts of transfer right, title and interest in the real property at 2207 seem more avenue in cleveland to the land

utilization corporation. the land bank. after the plea hearing that is what you did, is that correct? you signed all the papers? right. and you obviously not entitled to seek, you agree towed to not seek any profits from this matter, correct? >> [inaudible] >> you have agreed you will not seek any profits from this? in other words you will not be writing a book and receiving fund. you won't be licensing anything. >> [inaudible] >> the only people that may in the future receive the benefit from this will be the victims. is that clear? >> yes, your honor. >> ms. knight, thank you for your remarkable restraint during that statement.

you have several times, both during the plea, coliquy and then again today mentioned you don't feel you're a violent person. perhaps you're not totally understanding section 2971. talking about what is a violent sex offense. that includes the charge of rape. you pled guilty to a number of those, hundreds of counts. it also defines sexually violent offense means a violent sex offense for which the person was convicted or pled guilty to with the sexual motivation. and it talks about a sexually violent predator. so by operation of law, the rape and such, would then constitute a sexually violent offense. and you pled guilty to that and found guilty of it.

that's your plea and sexually violent offense and a likelihood to engage in the future in one or more sexually violent offenses qualifies a person as a sexually violent predator here under 2971.01, page 2, c, d and e, where they talk about the available information or evidence suggest that is the person chronicly commits offenses with a sexual motivation. you have to admit that happened here by virtue of all the rape charges. but the person that has committed one or more offenses which the person has tortured or engaged in ritual listic acts with unor more victims that seems to pertain here. committed sex with one or more victims physically harmed would agree the particular victim's life was in jeopardy and that most prominently occurred with ms. knight. there are legal reasons i'm sure your attorneys

considered and discussed with you, although you may not like the wording of the terminology of the revised code it fits, okay? it may be unpleasant to you but -- >> [inaudible] >> well, that, by virtue of your plea, that's what you did. you pled guilty to that and, by virtue of your plea, when you rape someone, that is what it means. so, mr. castro, sentencing you and others that come before this court on felony matters, of course there is one misdemeanor as well, but coming before this court on felony matters i have to comply with felony sentencing statutes. the overall purpose is to punish the offender and protech the public from future crimes by the offender and others using the minimum sanctions that the court determined for the purposes without imposing

unnecessary burden on state or local government resources. burden on state and government and local resources. >> there is need for incan pasitation and deterrence and rehabilitation. i have come up with a sentence to you with the seriousness of your conduct and impact on the victims and sentence that is similar to similar crimes by similar offenders. it will not be raced on race, ethnicity or gender or religion. one issue in terms of personality that we will get to later. look at cases and a scope of the portion in terms of harm to a victim, or very similar. your misconduct here far exceeds the scope and duration of the

defendants i am going to mention. the kevindom nick case which was imposed two consecutive life sentences for him. and mr. japa who received a sentence of 36 year