Amanda Berry, Gina deJesus & Michelle Knight - General discussion #4

New Posts

Status
Not open for further replies.
jjenny said:
Did mother try to find out what happened to Michelle? Michelle's brother claims mother didn't even tell him Michelle was missing.
Click to expand...

There is something more to the story with Michelle's family.....there has to be. She does not want to see her mother, does not want to go home to her family after being held captive by an animal and enduring a decade of horrific and sadistic abuse. What happened to her when after all of that she does not want to go home, does not even want to see her mother?

The horror what these girls have lived through has shaken me. But Michelle haunts me the most. She was gang raped a year before her abduction and gave birth to a a child of rape that was taken from her by the courts for something her stepfather did? Then she endures THIS? The media gave her disappearance almost no attention, mom couldn't be found to communicate with so she was removed from the missing persons database within a year and a half as if no one cared, like she was persona non grata. She ends up being his "personal punching bag" and target for even more abuse than the other two? She needs facial reconstruction, has hearing loss, 5 violently induced abortions, and cognitive delays?

And now apparently she does not feel connected enough to her family (for whatever reasons) to go home to heal around unconditional love and comfort? Apparently she does not feel that she will find that with them.

How much can one person take? I'd be on a psych ward I think. My heart aches for all of them, but I am just haunted by what has happened around Michelle.
 
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPR9HkUD_JY"]Raw: Gina DeJesus Arrives at Cleveland Home - YouTube[/ame]

Video of Gina going into home.
 
4MYGUYS said:
I'm guessing that for psychological reasons the best for them was to go home, & then deal with the medical issues as long as they were stable.
Dental, musculo-skeletal, gynecological issues would be probable issues in my opinion. Cardio vascular can't be good with such limited mobility.
Then there's the huge issue with their psychological well being. Not being hospitalized does not mean they aren't severely injured.
JMHO
Click to expand...

I had an article opened this morning that said there's a reason why there were no photos of Gina. Apparently she also has neck issues from the abuse
 
Waddles said:
Just to clarify-I have noticed a few people bring this up, but malnutrition means malnourished, badly nourished not undernourished -as in malnourished with McDonalds and not fruit and veggies, doesn't mean they lacked calories and body fat...
Click to expand...

It can mean that. But it can also mean undernourished. I mean reports are that Michelle was starved because she was pregnant, and there are reports that he would sometimes supply food to one or two of them and make the ones who weren't given food watch the others eat. That tells me that food was used as a disciplinary method and a show of his control over them and their lives. If he wished he could starve them to death. So depending on how often he did that, they could be very badly undernourished.
 
Watched the attorneys speak today. I expect that the attorneys will plead not guilty at first. It is part of trying to negotiate a lighter sentence for their client. So that doesn't surprise me. But hearing them speak, I think they are planning to go to trial. They are already doing damage control and beginning the spin. And they are coming out with a hard line.

So yes I think they are going to fight, no matter how overwhelming the evidence. This doesn't sound like the usual "if they don't lower the charges we will force them to incur the cost of a trial" BS that you usually hear. Which means this is going to be a long tough fight to even get to trial. And the girls won't be given a pass on the stand.

Grounds? I think they will fight very hard on the murder charges. Because in the forced abortion beatings there is no evidence that we know of other than the girls statements. So I think that will be one of the bargaining chips.

Kidnapping? I think they will go with the fact that the girls got in his car voluntarily. And sadly I think they may try character assassination on the girls.

Mental defense? Maybe. I mean a "monster" isn't normal, so they can try to say that it is a mental condition. I think they will at least have him checked. (IMO he isn't insane or even a mental health issue. IMO he is a sadist and a predator. And those aren't grounds for insanity.)

I also think they may use his background. There are already hints about his life as he grew up and the 'abuse' he suffered. It will be interesting if we later see his bros back on TV telling about their life growing up.

If this goes to trial it will be quite a while before it goes to trial. And the attorneys won't go easy on the girls. This all puts pressure on the prosecuting attorney to come to terms with the defense. To take a plea, to reduce some charges, to drop others.

Likely the dance will go on for a while. In the meantime more info about the incarceration will be leaked.
 
I too see that they are willing to try character assassination against the victims. If they try, that will seriously blow up in their faces.

I do not think that the prosecuting attorney should go easy on him just because his attorneys are talking smack. I think they must know deep inside that they cannot possibly spin Castro out of this mess. If they don't, then they can go to trial and lose.
 
kittykat1 said:
I don't see how a defense attorney can objectively represent Castro. I would advise him to plead guilty and spare these women so they do not have to relive a decade of abuse. I don't like it when someone is tried in the media, however, in this case, it's obvious to me this sick man is guilty.
Click to expand...

A defense attorney objectively represents someone because everyone is entitled to an attorney under our Constitution. It is to protect Castro's constitutional rights, to make sure the investigation and prosecution are by the book. You should support this - it makes it less likely for Castro to be released on a technicality, which can happen when a defendant's rights are infringed upon.

Pink Panther said:
I am completely shocked that he is going to plead "not guilty". What a horrible thing to put these girls through a trial after everything they have already suffered. I hope someone manages to talk some sense into him and his lawyer.

moo
Click to expand...

This is a normal part of the process. Not enough time has elapsed for the attorney to even evaluate the evidence - what little there is at this point, to be able to competently advise the client on how to proceed. The vast majority of cases start with a not guilty plea, because of how quickly the criminal justice system has to move at first because of your right to a speedy trial. Then, a plea is negotiated, and most are then sentenced without a jury trial at all. Castro had to enter a plea quickly. A not guilty plea is what is entered because it's the only thing that buys the attorneys, both prosecution and defense, time to evaluate the case.

KaaBoom said:
:facepalm:Unbelievable, but I predicted this would happen. Lawyers, don't make money by letting their clients plead guilty.

They will come up with some stupid outrageous defense, and they will make the victims testify about their ordeal. Ultimately he will be convicted, but they will make sure the victims go through hell to get the conviction.
Click to expand...

This isn't about money; this is about having time to evaluate the case. Besides which, no lawyer is going to get rich representing Castro. He likely doesn't have the funds. It's most likely to be someone court appointed, and you don't often recoup all that you put into court appointed cases anyway.

Furthermore, at this point, neither the prosecution nor the defense has any idea if it's going to trial. That's just not how these things work this early in the case.
 
kittykat1 said:
I don't see how a defense attorney can objectively represent Castro. I would advise him to plead guilty and spare these women so they do not have to relive a decade of abuse. I don't like it when someone is tried in the media, however, in this case, it's obvious to me this sick man is guilty.
Click to expand...

What is so awful about this: It is not he who will be paying his lawyer. :banghead:
 
mysteriew said:
Watched the attorneys speak today. I expect that the attorneys will plead not guilty at first. It is part of trying to negotiate a lighter sentence for their client. So that doesn't surprise me. But hearing them speak, I think they are planning to go to trial. They are already doing damage control and beginning the spin. And they are coming out with a hard line.

So yes I think they are going to fight, no matter how overwhelming the evidence. This doesn't sound like the usual "if they don't lower the charges we will force them to incur the cost of a trial" BS that you usually hear. Which means this is going to be a long tough fight to even get to trial. And the girls won't be given a pass on the stand.

Grounds? I think they will fight very hard on the murder charges. Because in the forced abortion beatings there is no evidence that we know of other than the girls statements. So I think that will be one of the bargaining chips.

Kidnapping? I think they will go with the fact that the girls got in his car voluntarily. And sadly I think they may try character assassination on the girls.

Mental defense? Maybe. I mean a "monster" isn't normal, so they can try to say that it is a mental condition. I think they will at least have him checked. (IMO he isn't insane or even a mental health issue. IMO he is a sadist and a predator. And those aren't grounds for insanity.)

I also think they may use his background. There are already hints about his life as he grew up and the 'abuse' he suffered. It will be interesting if we later see his bros back on TV telling about their life growing up.

If this goes to trial it will be quite a while before it goes to trial. And the attorneys won't go easy on the girls. This all puts pressure on the prosecuting attorney to come to terms with the defense. To take a plea, to reduce some charges, to drop others.

Likely the dance will go on for a while. In the meantime more info about the incarceration will be leaked.
Click to expand...




Thank you, for your well thought out post.

Sadly, I think you're right. I think that the argument will include the girls got in the car willingly. H will probably say that there were times they could have run away when he left them.

I normally would say there is NO CHANCE he will be able to get away with this. However, I sat through the CA trial, and well -- you know.
 
Just sharing some of my thoughts:

I've been in Cleveland all of my life, mostly the suburbs, but much of my family was inner city. In the poorer neighborhoods, it's not unheard of to live in a old and rundown house. I've been in homes where entire rooms were filled to the rim with junk. Basements so rundown that they go unused and end up locked off. People don't want you in all areas of their home because they are a wreck! AC's oldest daughter said that he complained her old room was full of junk and that's why she couldn't go in there. He probably kept people in his kitchen/living room and I don't think many people would find that entirely odd around here.
 
nikb said:
Oh sheesh. I have to say this made me shake my head and contemplate a good dramatic teenager-style eye roll. From the article:

"Cleveland Public Power, or CPP, says it normally checks residential power use monthly, which would mean employees would have visited Castro's home about 120 times over 10 years.

Did they notice or hear anything suspicious?

'Our contact with customers is limited to the outside of the home. It is a very rare occasion that we are called to go into a home,' said Shelley Shockley, the spokesperson for CPP.

The Cleveland Division of Water reads meters every three months. That means they would have checked Castro's meter about 40 times while the women were held against their will. Did the employees ever go inside to repair the meter?"​

Oh my gosh WHAT?! Meter readers were there monthly for the utilities and the water meter readers were there every 3 months - all those visits and they didn't know there were horrible things going on inside the home?
Click to expand...

Thats what I was thinking. It's surprising they didn't mention the letter carriers, who delivered mail to the house 3,000 time. How could they not know what was going on inside behind the blacked out windows?:rolleyes:
 
Spice said:
Because it says so point blank in the reporting in the video. Also, the boards in the back are grey wide plank and resemble hardwood flooring. Almost decorative in nature. Why would the FBI board the back up with totally different materials in the back then they used in the front?

The video explains that Castro had boarded the windows. Not the FBI.
Click to expand...

The report I read said the gray boards were already there. (back windows)
 
Detective Klimpt said:
I've been thinking about the boarded up windows. Surely he couldn't have boarded up every window in this house. If he did, they would have suffocated in there in the Summer with no air conditioning. If there were windows that were not boarded, will the defense pose the question as to why the girls did not try to break the windows to escape or call out for help?

Also...gosh...who in their right mind would not find boarded up windows crazy in a lived-in house, and why wouldn't someone question it?

I just don't understand all the people that visited AC in his kitchen and nobody was curious about why they were prevented from seeing/going in the living room?
Click to expand...

Well either they were suffocating in there in the Summer or maybe he had air conditioning, or some type of ventilation system. Because all the windows were all closed up in the summer.

Screenshot2013-05-11at115306PM_zpscd7c2531.jpg
 
giagreen said:
Hi everyone! new here but been reading a long time. so I hope no-one minds me jumping in and putting my thoughts out here.
but I just wanted to say 9 out of 10 times I do think its an act but regarding AC I really don't think it is. I truly believe this guy is nuts and might just be this cra. And with him being in such control over others for so long and then losing that power might be making him.lose it all together. its hard for an abuser when they lose that control. but if it is and act then he is doing it all wrong. jall/prison gards. have seen it all. p.s sorry for spelling airs am on a phone...ugh need my lap top back lol
Click to expand...

You're making sense. Welcome, not that I'm not pretty much a newby too, who seldom posts. :seeya:
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

DNASolves

Who is Escambia County John Doe (1989)?

Staff online

Members online

... and 79 more.
Total: 3,038 (members: 80, guests: 2,958)

Online statistics

Members online
80
Guests online
2,958
Total visitors
3,038
Totals may include hidden visitors.

Forum statistics

Threads
592,285
Messages
17,966,690
Members
228,735
Latest member
dil2288
Back
Top