A Cuayhoga County judge says the Cleveland man accused of holding three women captive in his home for about a decade has pleaded guilty in a deal with prosecutors. Judge Michael Russo held a hearing this morning to get an update on the status of negotiations between prosecutors and attorneys for 53-year-old Ariel Castro. Russo told Castro the death penalty has been taken off the table in exchange for a guilty plea and a sentence of life in prison without parole.
Castro had been scheduled for trial August 5th on a nearly one thousand count indictment. Amanda Berry, Michelle Knight and Gina DeJesus escaped Castro's house in May.