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August 22, 2002: Michelle Knight is kidnapped
Reuters/Landov (3)
On Aug. 22, 2002, 21-year-old Michelle Knight (now known as Lily Rose Lee) was late for an appointment with a social worker to discuss custody of her son when she heard a male voice. “Want me to give you a ride?” asked Ariel Castro. She knew his oldest daughter and said yes. It was a decision she would regret for a long time.
02of 13April 21, 2003: Amanda Berry is kidnappedLess than a year later, on April 21, 2003, the day before she turned 17, Amanda Berry was walking home from work when she also accepted a ride from Castro. She called her sister to let her know she had a ride. Berry knew another daughter of his and agreed to visit with her — but she never saw her.A week later, an unknown male used Berry’s cell phone number to call her mother and told her, “I have Amanda. She’s fine and will be coming home in a couple of days.”
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April 21, 2003: Amanda Berry is kidnapped
Less than a year later, on April 21, 2003, the day before she turned 17, Amanda Berry was walking home from work when she also accepted a ride from Castro. She called her sister to let her know she had a ride. Berry knew another daughter of his and agreed to visit with her — but she never saw her.
A week later, an unknown male used Berry’s cell phone number to call her mother and told her, “I have Amanda. She’s fine and will be coming home in a couple of days.”
03of 13April 4, 2004: Gina DeJesus is kidnappedThe following year, Castro offered a ride to a third person, Gina DeJesus, who was headed home from school. Like the rest, she knew one of his daughters, Arlene, who was the last person to see DeJesus before she disappeared. Castro used this as a ruse to get DeJesus to his house, telling her he was dropping her off at home. She was the youngest, at age 14.
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April 4, 2004: Gina DeJesus is kidnapped
The following year, Castro offered a ride to a third person, Gina DeJesus, who was headed home from school. Like the rest, she knew one of his daughters, Arlene, who was the last person to see DeJesus before she disappeared. Castro used this as a ruse to get DeJesus to his house, telling her he was dropping her off at home. She was the youngest, at age 14.
04of 132002-2013: The three girls face abuse in the ‘House of Horrors’Bill Pugliano/Getty; Inset: APBerry, DeJesus and Leewere chained and locked inside Castro’s boarded-up homeat 2207 Seymour Ave. in Cleveland. They were deprived of food and basic hygiene. Instead of having access to the restroom, they were given buckets to use. DeJesus and Knight were chained together and shared a room on the top floor. Berry lived separately, and on Christmas Day in 2006, she gave birth to a daughter. While she remained in chains most of the time, Castro occasionally took their daughter outside. Knight became pregnant five times and miscarried after Castro abused her in an effort to terminate the pregnancies.
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2002-2013: The three girls face abuse in the ‘House of Horrors’
Bill Pugliano/Getty; Inset: AP
Berry, DeJesus and Leewere chained and locked inside Castro’s boarded-up homeat 2207 Seymour Ave. in Cleveland. They were deprived of food and basic hygiene. Instead of having access to the restroom, they were given buckets to use. DeJesus and Knight were chained together and shared a room on the top floor. Berry lived separately, and on Christmas Day in 2006, she gave birth to a daughter. While she remained in chains most of the time, Castro occasionally took their daughter outside. Knight became pregnant five times and miscarried after Castro abused her in an effort to terminate the pregnancies.
05of 13May 6, 2013: Berry makes a call and all the women escapeOn May 6, 2013, Berry broke through the boarded front door of Castro’s home with the help of her neighbor and ran across the street, where she frantically dialed 911. “Help me. I’m Amanda Berry,” she said. “I’ve been kidnapped and I’ve been missing for 10 years and I’m — I’m here. I’m free now.” When police arrived, they discovered DeJesus and Lee hiding inside the house. Castro forgot to bolt the door shut when he left to have a meal with his family.
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May 6, 2013: Berry makes a call and all the women escape
On May 6, 2013, Berry broke through the boarded front door of Castro’s home with the help of her neighbor and ran across the street, where she frantically dialed 911. “Help me. I’m Amanda Berry,” she said. “I’ve been kidnapped and I’ve been missing for 10 years and I’m — I’m here. I’m free now.” When police arrived, they discovered DeJesus and Lee hiding inside the house. Castro forgot to bolt the door shut when he left to have a meal with his family.
06of 13July 9, 2013: The women break their silence and thank the publicIn their first appearance following their escape, the trio released a joint video and expressed their gratefulness for the public’s support. “Everyone who has been there to support us has been a blessing,” Berry said. They shared that they reunited with their families and were staying positive for their future.However, the three women were not yet ready to speak to the media and were hoping for privacy. “The three women still have a strong desire for privacy,” said James Wooley, an attorney for Berry and DeJesus. “They do not want to talk about their ordeal with the media or anyone else. This cannot be stated strongly enough. We thank everyone for the privacy and courtesy shown to Amanda, Gina and Michelle over the last few months and ask that this continue.”
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July 9, 2013: The women break their silence and thank the public
In their first appearance following their escape, the trio released a joint video and expressed their gratefulness for the public’s support. “Everyone who has been there to support us has been a blessing,” Berry said. They shared that they reunited with their families and were staying positive for their future.
However, the three women were not yet ready to speak to the media and were hoping for privacy. “The three women still have a strong desire for privacy,” said James Wooley, an attorney for Berry and DeJesus. “They do not want to talk about their ordeal with the media or anyone else. This cannot be stated strongly enough. We thank everyone for the privacy and courtesy shown to Amanda, Gina and Michelle over the last few months and ask that this continue.”
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August 1, 2013: Ariel Castro is sentenced to life in prison
Tony Dejak/AP
08of 13May 7, 2014: Michelle Knight releases a bookIn 2014, a year after her escape, Knight releasedFinding Me. TheNew York Timesbestselling memoir described the rape, torture, near-starvation and isolation she endured for more than 10 years. “Everything in the house was unexplainable,” Lee told PEOPLE at the time. “It happened. I don’t know the reasons why.“However, she emphasized that she does not want to be seen as a victim, but rather, as a survivor.“I don’t dwell on the past. I really try to look forward,” Knight, told PEOPLE. “I want to be remembered as a victor, not a victim.”
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May 7, 2014: Michelle Knight releases a book
In 2014, a year after her escape, Knight releasedFinding Me. TheNew York Timesbestselling memoir described the rape, torture, near-starvation and isolation she endured for more than 10 years. “Everything in the house was unexplainable,” Lee told PEOPLE at the time. “It happened. I don’t know the reasons why.”
However, she emphasized that she does not want to be seen as a victim, but rather, as a survivor.
“I don’t dwell on the past. I really try to look forward,” Knight, told PEOPLE. “I want to be remembered as a victor, not a victim.”
09of 13April 28, 2015: Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus recount their own survival in a bookCourtesy PenguinIn theirNew York Timesbestselling book,Hope: A Memoir of Survival in Cleveland, written with Mary Jordan and Kevin Sullivan, Berry and DeJesusdescribed their daily lives and living in constant fear. “He was always watching us,” DeJesus, said about Castro. “Before the door opened, your heart was just beating real fast.” Berry added, “You didn’t know why he was coming up the stairs or what was going to happen.“The book also shared how the women found moments of joy and normalcy among their decade of torture. They shared how when Castro was at work or out, they would dance and watchThe Vampire Diariestogether.“We would watch the show and then for two hours afterward, we would talk about what’s going to happen next week,” Berry said. But then Castro would come home, DeJesus said, “He would walk up the stairs and just ruin our whole day.”
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April 28, 2015: Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus recount their own survival in a book
Courtesy Penguin
In theirNew York Timesbestselling book,Hope: A Memoir of Survival in Cleveland, written with Mary Jordan and Kevin Sullivan, Berry and DeJesusdescribed their daily lives and living in constant fear. “He was always watching us,” DeJesus, said about Castro. “Before the door opened, your heart was just beating real fast.” Berry added, “You didn’t know why he was coming up the stairs or what was going to happen.”
The book also shared how the women found moments of joy and normalcy among their decade of torture. They shared how when Castro was at work or out, they would dance and watchThe Vampire Diariestogether.
“We would watch the show and then for two hours afterward, we would talk about what’s going to happen next week,” Berry said. But then Castro would come home, DeJesus said, “He would walk up the stairs and just ruin our whole day.”
10of 132017: Amanda Berry speaks out for other missing peopleElinor CarucciDuring the decade Berry was held, her abductor allowed her to watch the news. On the anniversary of the day she vanished, she’d watch journalists interview her family, who never gave up searching for her. In early 2017, Berry went in front of the camera on behalf of others, hosting a 30-second daily news segment on Cleveland’s Fox 8 dedicated to missing people in the northeast Ohio area. She continues the segment to this day.“I hope we get [the faces of] missing people out there and get people looking at them a second time, a third time, and looking at their name,” Berry told PEOPLE in an exclusive interview. “It’s kind of the small things that makes a big difference.”
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2017: Amanda Berry speaks out for other missing people
Elinor Carucci
During the decade Berry was held, her abductor allowed her to watch the news. On the anniversary of the day she vanished, she’d watch journalists interview her family, who never gave up searching for her. In early 2017, Berry went in front of the camera on behalf of others, hosting a 30-second daily news segment on Cleveland’s Fox 8 dedicated to missing people in the northeast Ohio area. She continues the segment to this day.
“I hope we get [the faces of] missing people out there and get people looking at them a second time, a third time, and looking at their name,” Berry told PEOPLE in an exclusive interview. “It’s kind of the small things that makes a big difference.”
11of 13May 1, 2018: Michelle Knight releases her second bookMelanie Acevedo.Knightannounced in May 2017that she was working on her second book,Life After Darkness: My Journey to Happiness. It published on May 1, 2018, days before the five-year anniversary of her rescue from captivity. “She has kept a fairly low-profile,” said Georgina Levitt, publishing director for Weinstein Books, which published Lee’s book. “There will be reveals about her new life.” Her first book,Finding Me, revealed how a troubled childhood helped her cope with some of her darkest days in captivity.In her second book, she delved into how she found love after worrying that her trauma would prevent her from feeling safe again. However, on May 6, 2016, shemarried Miguel Rodriguez— on the third anniversary of her escape.
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May 1, 2018: Michelle Knight releases her second book
Melanie Acevedo.
Knightannounced in May 2017that she was working on her second book,Life After Darkness: My Journey to Happiness. It published on May 1, 2018, days before the five-year anniversary of her rescue from captivity. “She has kept a fairly low-profile,” said Georgina Levitt, publishing director for Weinstein Books, which published Lee’s book. “There will be reveals about her new life.” Her first book,Finding Me, revealed how a troubled childhood helped her cope with some of her darkest days in captivity.
In her second book, she delved into how she found love after worrying that her trauma would prevent her from feeling safe again. However, on May 6, 2016, shemarried Miguel Rodriguez— on the third anniversary of her escape.
12of 132018: Gina DeJesus starts a nonprofit to help families of those missingElinor CarucciWhile a source told PEOPLE that DeJesus, the youngest of the group, has been quietly enjoying life with her tight-knit family in the suburbs of Cleveland, she has also been keeping busy.In 2018, DeJesus started the nonprofitCleveland Family Center for Missing Children and Adults(a.k.a. Cleveland Family) to help families left waiting after loved ones have been abducted. In 2022, the nonprofit helped 58 families. DeJesus and her family travel around the country to teach law enforcement how to work with families with missing relatives.“I want to help familiesbecause my family didn’t have anything. They didn’t get help,” DeJesus told PEOPLE in 2018. “My parents didn’t have people actually helping them do the flyers and stuff. We could actually help other families with all of that instead of them worrying and freaking out.”
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2018: Gina DeJesus starts a nonprofit to help families of those missing
While a source told PEOPLE that DeJesus, the youngest of the group, has been quietly enjoying life with her tight-knit family in the suburbs of Cleveland, she has also been keeping busy.
In 2018, DeJesus started the nonprofitCleveland Family Center for Missing Children and Adults(a.k.a. Cleveland Family) to help families left waiting after loved ones have been abducted. In 2022, the nonprofit helped 58 families. DeJesus and her family travel around the country to teach law enforcement how to work with families with missing relatives.
“I want to help familiesbecause my family didn’t have anything. They didn’t get help,” DeJesus told PEOPLE in 2018. “My parents didn’t have people actually helping them do the flyers and stuff. We could actually help other families with all of that instead of them worrying and freaking out.”
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May 2023: Knight hosts a fundraising event for her nonprofit
Deborah Feingold.
Knight told PEOPLE in March 2023 that she planned on hosting “Tragedy to Triumph: An Evening with Michelle Knight,” a dinner and raffle to raise money for her nonprofit group,Unleashed Animal Rescue, on May 6, 2023, which is also the tenth anniversary of her rescue.
source: people.com
