The dreadful case of Amanda Berry
Jocelyn told Amanda that her father’s car was gone. Amanda’s heart started pounding.
It was probably her only chance.
She banged on the front door as if her life depended on it. A neighbor heard and ran to the door to let her out.
Then Amanda called the police.
Dispatcher: Cleveland’s 911.
Amanda: Hello police, help me, I’m Amanda Berry.
Dispatcher: Do you need police, fire, or ambulance?
Amanda: I need the police. I’ve been kidnapped and I’ve been missing for 10 years.
Dispatcher: Okay and what’s your address?
Amanda: 2207 Seymour Avenue.
Dispatcher: Okay, talk to the police when they get there.
Amanda: Are you on your way right now?
Dispatcher: We’re gonna send them as soon as we get a car open.
Amanda: No, I need them now before he gets back!
Dispatcher: I told you they’re on their way, talk to them when they get there.
Amanda Was From Cleveland, Ohio
It was on April 21st, 2003, a day like any other in the city of Cleveland, Ohio.
And sixteen-year-old Amanda Berry didn’t want to go to her job at the local Burger King. The next day was her birthday. So she was thinking of taking the day off.
But Amanda pushed herself to go.
Her mom came inside the room and kissed her. She wished her a good day. Then she left Amanda to prep herself for work. Amanda finished her shift.
On her way back home, she met her neighbor, Ariel Castro. Ariel was also a school bus driver and the father of one of Amanda’s good friends. Ariel offered Amanda a ride.
She said yes.
Ariel Invited Amanda Inside
Then Ariel invited Amanda to come inside and see his daughter since she was around.
Ariel’s daughter was Amanda’s friend, so she thought of no reason to refuse. Then Ariel proposed a house tour to Amanda once they got inside. Amanda noticed there was an unknown woman watching TV in one of the rooms near the basement.
Then Ariel explained that the woman was renting the room.
The two continued down the basement. And Ariel kept saying that his daughter was taking a shower for the moment. So Amanda started to get weird vibes about the situation.
The next bedroom where Ariel took her was too dark. She noticed how all the windows were nailed shut and tinted black.
“He told me to pull down my pants. From there, I knew this was not gonna be good.” Amanda stated.
Amanda Never Went Back Outside
In an instant, Ariel chained Amanda up to the wall by the stomach. And he tied her limbs together with duct tape.
To cover up her screams, he strapped a motorcycle helmet on her head. And he turned the radio volume to a maximum.
At that moment, Amanda realized that the woman in the other room was also captive.
Ariel left Amanda, and he shut the lights off. Amanda started screaming and crying for help. But no one was there to help her. Meanwhile, the police were shocked. Amanda had disappeared without a trace.
And Amanda’s mother, Louwana Miller, appeared on TV for her daughter’s safe return. Then Ariel called Louwana with Amanda’s phone.
Louwana pleaded, “Please let me talk to her. Let me hear her voice. Just let me know if she’s there. Let me know she’s okay.”
But there was silence, and then the phone was hung up.
The Police Tracked Amanda’s Phone
The police tracked down the phone.
They found the area where her phone was last used. Then they heavily surveilled the area for the week. But Amanda’s kidnapper never called again.
Strangely, Ariel was part of Amanda’s search team. And he even attended the public vigils organized by Amanda’s family. And at some point, Ariel’s wife, Grimilda, reported him for various charges.
Ariel was physically violent with her. And he chained her up in the basement before they got divorced.
She suffered a broken nose twice. She had broken teeth and head injuries due to domestic violence.
Ariel would also frequently abduct his daughter from Grimilda’s house after the divorce. Grimilda reported Ariel to the police several times, but he was never once arrested. Then Grimilda ended up dying from a brain tumor.
Amanda Kept a Secret Diary
Meanwhile, Amanda recorded Ariel’s abusive acts in a secret diary whilst she was in captivity.
Furthermore, Amanda would also record the abuse that the other women in the basement endured.
Meanwhile, Louwana continued to search for her daughter. But she lost hope as time went by. She believed that she’d meet her daughter again in heaven. So Louwana died without finding Amanda.
And Louwana died without knowing she had a granddaughter. Amanda had gotten pregnant and given birth to Jocelyn. As Jocelyn grew up, Ariel would take her outside to the courtyard and parks.
Meanwhile, Ariel had to take Amanda’s chains off because Jocelyn started asking many questions.
Things Changed For Amanda
Then everything changed on May 6th, 2013, after ten years in captivity.
That morning Jocelyn told Amanda that her father’s car was gone.
Amanda rushed with Jocelyn to the front door. She banged on it as if her life depended on it. A neighbor heard her and ran to the door to let her out.
He kicked the door open, and Amanda was finally free. Then Amanda called the police. However, the dispatcher told Amanda to hang up and wait for the police to show up.
Amanda was terrified.
When the police arrived, Amanda told them about the other girls held captive in Ariel’s house.
The girls were also rescued. Ariel was soon arrested. The police searched Ariel’s house and found a confession made by Ariel. Then they also found Amanda’s diaries, where she recorded everything.
The Aftermath
Ariel pleaded guilty to 937 counts of rape, kidnapping, and aggravated murder.
He was given a life sentence plus a thousand years without the possibility of parole. But Ariel only lasted one month in prison.
He committed suicide because of the hardcore harassment and abuse he endured from other inmates.
Today Amanda works with a local news station for missing people.
She stated;
“I’m working with a local news station for missing children and adults in our area. My personal mission is to help police find missing people.”
Sources:wikipedia.org, Unseen