Ariel Castro, charged with the abduction of three women in Cleveland, is expected to plead guilty Friday in a deal that could spare him the death penalty, although the court won't hand down the final sentence until later.
Castro, a former school bus driver who turned 53 earlier this month, was scheduled to appear in court on 977 criminal counts, including kidnapping, rape and aggravated murder.
He is accused of abducting three young women over an 11-year period, holding them hostage in his home and raping them repeatedly.
WKYC reports that Castro, who initially pleaded not guilty, had been offered a plea deal and was expected to accept it at Friday's hearing.
NBC News reports that he could be sentenced to life without parole plus 1,000 years.
The final decision on sentencing is up to Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Michael Russo, who said he would make his decision at a later day.
Judges often follow the terms of a plea deal, but are not bound by it. Trial was set for Aug. 5.
If Castro does accept a plea deal, the three victims in the case -- Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight -- would not have to testify in court.
Castro was initially arrested May 6 after Berry escaped from her room and began shouting at the front door, alerting neighbors. Police then found the other two women inside the rundown, four-bedroom home.
The abductions extended over an 11 years period, beginning with Knight's kidnapping in 2002.
Berry has a 6-year-old daughter who was born inside the rundown, two-story home where she was held. DNA tests showed that Castro is the father.
The two aggravated murder charges stem from a single instance during the fourth pregnancy of Knight, who was the first woman to disappear. One aggravated murder charge alleges premeditation. The second alleges that the murder took place during a kidnapping.
The indictment covers the entire period of captivity, from the Aug. 22, 2002, disappearance of Knight to May 6, when Berry, missing since April 21, 2003, and her child escaped Castro's house and led police to Knight and Gina DeJesus, missing since April 2, 2004.
Castro, a former school bus driver who turned 53 earlier this month, was scheduled to appear in court on 977 criminal counts, including kidnapping, rape and aggravated murder.
He is accused of abducting three young women over an 11-year period, holding them hostage in his home and raping them repeatedly.
WKYC reports that Castro, who initially pleaded not guilty, had been offered a plea deal and was expected to accept it at Friday's hearing.
NBC News reports that he could be sentenced to life without parole plus 1,000 years.
The final decision on sentencing is up to Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Michael Russo, who said he would make his decision at a later day.
Judges often follow the terms of a plea deal, but are not bound by it. Trial was set for Aug. 5.
If Castro does accept a plea deal, the three victims in the case -- Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight -- would not have to testify in court.
Castro was initially arrested May 6 after Berry escaped from her room and began shouting at the front door, alerting neighbors. Police then found the other two women inside the rundown, four-bedroom home.
The abductions extended over an 11 years period, beginning with Knight's kidnapping in 2002.
Berry has a 6-year-old daughter who was born inside the rundown, two-story home where she was held. DNA tests showed that Castro is the father.
The two aggravated murder charges stem from a single instance during the fourth pregnancy of Knight, who was the first woman to disappear. One aggravated murder charge alleges premeditation. The second alleges that the murder took place during a kidnapping.
The indictment covers the entire period of captivity, from the Aug. 22, 2002, disappearance of Knight to May 6, when Berry, missing since April 21, 2003, and her child escaped Castro's house and led police to Knight and Gina DeJesus, missing since April 2, 2004.