GRISLY DETAILS

Castro May Be Charged with Murder

Prosecutors may seek the death penalty.

Cleveland kidnapping suspect Ariel Castro appeared in court briefly on Thursday and was arraigned on kidnapping and rape charges. Prosecutors said they may charge Castro with aggravated murder for the multiple times he allegedly impregnated his victims and forced them to suffer miscarriages. His bond is set at $8 million ($2 million for each case). One of the three women held captive told police that Castro impregnated her five times but always forced her to “abort the baby.” According to early police reports, Michelle Knight said Castro starved her for at least two weeks and then repeatedly punched her in the stomach until she miscarried. Castro allegedly treated his other captives’ pregnancies differently, ordering Knight to deliver Amanda Berry’s child. He reportedly threatened to kill Knight if the baby didn’t survive.