Three women gained fresh life after they fled captor Ariel Castro’s “home of horrors” about five years ago. The 53-year-old committed suicide in his cell one month into his life sentence after pleading guilty to counts of rape, abduction, and aggravated murder. We can’t help but wonder how the Cleveland abduction victims Michelle Knight, Amanda Berry, and Georgina “Gina” DeJesus are faring now that their horror is behind them.
Due to the publication of her second novel, Life After Darkness: Finding Healing and Happiness After the Cleveland Kidnappings, Michelle is once again making news. She reportedly changed her name to Lillian Rose Lee after being inspired by her beloved flowers, according to People magazine. The artist, author, and speaker, now 37, was kidnapped when she was 20 years old. Along with helping out at neighborhood animal shelters, she just established Lily’s Ray of Hope Foundation to aid women and girls who have been victims of domestic abuse, human trafficking, and child abuse.
I avoid thinking about the past. I make a serious effort to look forward,” she previously told the magazine.
While in captivity, Amanda Berry, who was kidnapped when she was 16 years old, recalls reading news broadcasts about the kidnapper’s disappearance. She is now 32 and does a daily news piece for Cleveland’s Fox 8 regarding missing people.
In a statement released in February of last year, she added, “The individuals who were seeking for me never gave up when I was gone.” “I hope this portion will not only assist discover individuals who are missing but also give loved ones who are searching for their hope,” the speaker said.
According to People, Gina, 28, has made the decision to avoid the spotlight and is savoring her independence with her loved ones at her home outside of Cleveland. In order to assist survivors and their families, she just joined the Northeast Ohio Amber Alert Committee. Hope: A Memoir of Survival in Cleveland, the book she co-wrote with Amanda, was released in 2015.
The pair previously admitted that they don’t communicate with Michelle, explaining that their kidnapper used psychological tricks to prevent them from developing confidence in one another. Amanda said, “We’re two distinct individuals.
An outside view of the Cleveland house where they were detained for over ten years.
Because they “want everyone to know the truth, the genuine narrative of our decade as Castro’s inmates,” the women reportedly decided to disclose the specifics of their ordeal, according to the sources.
On May 6, 2013, Gina, Amanda, and a third victim, Michelle Knight, were all set free after Amanda and her daughter by Castro, who was six at the time, managed to flee and call the police.
He accepted a plea deal and pleaded guilty to 937 criminal counts of rape, kidnapping, and aggravated murder. As part of the agreement, he was given a term of life in prison without the possibility of release and 1,000 years behind bars.
After serving only one month of his sentence, Castro committed himself on September 3 by hanging himself in his cell.
Faqs
Why does Michelle not like Amanda and Gina?
Ariel tried his best to set the ladies against each other while they were held hostage, to prevent any lasting alliances, affiliations, or friendships. It’s fair to conclude that he intended them to be at odds with one another in order to prevent them from banding together to rebel against him.
Where are Michelle, Gina, and Amanda now?
Although Michelle and Amanda may not be close right now, it appears that all three ladies have tried their best to move on with their lives. Gina and Amanda both worked toward their high school degrees.
Did Michelle change her identity?
Life After Darkness: Finding Healing and Happiness After the Cleveland Kidnapping, a memoir about Michelle’s experience being held captive by Ariel, was published after she changed her identity to Lily Rose Lee. She disclosed that she wed Miguel, a man she met through mutual acquaintances on Facebook, in a Dr. Phil episode.
When Michelle was abducted by Ariel, she forfeited the opportunity to raise her baby. When he was still a toddler, in 2002, her son ultimately became an adopted child. She still has no contact with her child because she thinks it would be best for him to be with his adoptive parents.
