Ariel Castro Plea Deal: No Death Penalty, But Jail For 1,000+ Years

Given Ariel Castro’s crimes, the plea deal offered by prosecutors is actually pretty merciful: Life without parole plus 1,000 years.

On Thursday, Ohio prosecutors were nearing a plea deal with Castro, the man accused of kidnapping three women and holding them in sexual bondage for a decade. Among the 900+ charges against him is one for aggravated murder, which puts the death penalty on the table if this goes to trial.

If it did go to trial, the entire city of Cleveland, as well as Castro’s three victims, would be forced to relive horrifying stories from what prosecutors call his house of torture and rape. It’s pretty much in everyone’s best interest for Castro to take his 1,000 years, and it’s likely that he will.

“They’re hopeful that it’s going to come to a speedy conclusion,” said Kathryn Joseph, a lawyer representing one of the Cleveland kidnapping victims.

The total number of charges against Castro stands at 977. They include kidnapping, rape, assault and attempted murder. The latter-most was filed because one of the women told authorities that Castro impregnated her, and then forced her to miscarry.

The lead prosecutor in the Castro case, Timothy McGinty, did not say that he would seek the death penalty, but did say that he was considering it.

If the case does go to trial, that will begin in August. However, the lawyers for all three Cleveland kidnapping victims said that they want to wrap up the case as soon as possible.

Castro is currently being held on a bail of $8 million. He has pleaded not guilty.

What do you think? Is Ariel Castro’s plea deal of life without parole and 1,000 years too good for him? Sound off!