Ariel Castro Sentenced to Life Plus 1,000 Years in Prison

He accepted a plea deal and avoided trial.

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Ariel Castro dodged the death penalty by accepting a plea deal, but he'll spend the rest of his life in jail. Castro, accused of kidnapping Michelle Knight, Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus and holding them hostage inside of his Cleveland home for nearly a decade, pleaded guilty to several charges and will be sentenced to life in prison plus "at least" 1,000 years. He had previous entered a plea of not guilty to a 977-count indictment that included aggravated murder charges that could've been punishable by death.

Judge Michael J. Russo informed Castro that he will be labeled as a sexual predator, and revealed a key detail of the deal: The home where Castro kept the three women will be destroyed.

[via CNN]

RELATED: Cleveland Kidnapping Suspect Ariel Castro Offered Plea Deal That Would Save His Life

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