Amanda Berry, Gina deJesus & Michelle Knight - General discussion #4

[jjenny]

Well, we now have the benefit of hindsight. Before these girls were found, it was theorized many times Ashley Summers was related, and so far that hasn't panned out, yet Michelle Knight was found with these girls, and up until she walked out of that house, there was never any connection made between her disappearance and Amanda and Gina being missing.

I bet if it was really investigated, there would be others with the same level of 'connections' to Amanda and Gina as AC had.

How many people had a daughter that was a last known person to have seen Gina?

 

[Seajay]

It was the same in the Jaycee Duggard case, the stepfather was suspected right up until she was found. There was a false suspect in the Elisabeth Smart case too, I think he died in prison while serving time for other offenses.

It just goes to show, a suspect can look really promising, and for very good and logical reasons, and still the real solution to the crime can be something completely leftfield and bizarre. At least the young man in question has the cloud of suspicion lifted from him now, but given that he's probably had to live with his neighbours looking at him as a murderer for all these years I would count him as one of Castro's victims.

You're right. This is one time Occam's Razor doesn't pan out at all. The truth was way out there and no one could figure it out. Not by all the deductive reasoning in the world. IMO.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Amanda Berry's Father Speaks Out ... from the National Enquirer

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...te-lawyers-claim-kidnapping-victims-fine.html

 

[countryfox]

Ok, I'm starting to think Arlene is clearly hiding a lot of information. She went on national tv last week and said this, in the meantime we have read family members' reports as well as police and court records of domestic violence for many, many years!
___

Arlene said that, as a child, she never saw any sign of the abuse, sexual assault and other tortures that Castro is accused of meting out on the women.

“No, never,” she said, denying she grew up in a violent household.

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/so_sorry_had_no_idea_daughter_says_N9AFxS00RWjw0PfIz1N3aK

I too noticed the deception in that statement by one of the daughters, given what we know as a matter of public record about the domestic cruelties in the home. Also, I believe, if he got them (ie. Emily and Arlene) to act in collusion with him and lie against the step-father, why not in the abductions as well? It defies logic that these daughters would not connect the disappearances and share these blatant similarities with police, unless they were deliberately withholding certain details to protect THEIR involvement. Both Gina and Amanda, according to investigative sources, recalled seeing one or other of the daughters in the vehicle with their father just prior to their kidnapping. I am increasingly getting the feeling he set up a ploy with Emily and Arlene to bait at least the two familiar victims. The brother seems the most credible to me at this point.

 

[nikb]

Amanda Berry's Father Speaks Out ... from the National Enquirer

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...te-lawyers-claim-kidnapping-victims-fine.html

From the article: "Revealed his daughter, Amanda, 27, has not recovered from her traumatic ordeal." Sheesh.. does anyone seriously think she'd be "recovered" in just a few short weeks after it had been so many years? It's not clear if her father said that, but I think it was just the reporter. Still though, it's not exactly shocking or sensational, which I imagine is what they were going for.

It's so sad to read that her father is apparently "on his death bed" too. I'm glad she has her sister and other family with her.

 

[countryfox]

Well, we now have the benefit of hindsight. Before these girls were found, it was theorized many times Ashley Summers was related, and so far that hasn't panned out, yet Michelle Knight was found with these girls, and up until she walked out of that house, there was never any connection made between her disappearance and Amanda and Gina being missing.

I bet if it was really investigated, there would be others with the same level of 'connections' to Amanda and Gina as AC had.

Coupled with the daughters being among the last to have seen them????

 

[starry1]

Amanda is the spitting image of her father. I don't believe one word of that interview. He hasn't even seen her, but he knows how often she wakes up crying? Come on.

 

[nikb]

Amanda is the spitting image of her father. I don't believe one word of that interview. He hasn't even seen her, but he knows how often she wakes up crying? Come on.

He hasn't seen her at all? I hadn't read/heard that but might've missed it. I sure hope she's able to reunite with at least one of her parents, if she wants to. I don't know if she's seen him yet but the article about her grandfather was really touching. Between him and her sister, I'm glad she's got some family she seems to be close to.

(don't know about her Dad, but if she hasn't seen him I'm guessing not really)

 

[JerseyGirl]

Amanda is the spitting image of her father. I don't believe one word of that interview. He hasn't even seen her, but he knows how often she wakes up crying? Come on.

Well, in his defense, he did say she called him and showered with love, so we don't know for sure if they reunited or not in person.

 

[Roselvr]

Amanda is the spitting image of her father. I don't believe one word of that interview. He hasn't even seen her, but he knows how often she wakes up crying? Come on.

Wasn't there an article that said she was driving down to visit him?

 

[jjenny]

Wasn't there an article that said she was driving down to visit him?

How would she do it? I am pretty sure she has no driver license.

 

[JerseyGirl]

from a May 10th article:

Part of Amanda Berry's East Tennessee family will finally get the reunion they've waited more than a decade for. ... her grandfather, Troy Berry, and three cousins hit the road for Cleveland, to visit with Amanda, who is staying with her sister in Cleveland. Amanda's grandmother and father weren't able to make the trip. Johnny Berry is practically bed-ridden with a spinal problem and recently had surgery. They hope that Amanda will be able to come to Tennessee to visit them, soon.

And she'll get another special treat on her trip to East Tennessee. Her grandfather says he promised her a car before she was kidnapped, and he's been saving for it ever since.

http://www.wbir.com/news/article/27...N-family-heads-north-for-long-awaited-reunion

 

[nikb]

How would she do it? I am pretty sure she has no driver license.

I don't know what article Roselvr was referring to but FWIW I didn't take that literally that Amanda herself was driving, just that she was going via car rather than, say, flying. Although I don't remember reading about that visit.

IIRC and I think also noted in the article JerseyGirl linked, her grandfather is planning to teach Amanda to drive, so she wouldn't know how or have her license just yet.

There's also this article: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2323212/Amanda-Berry-Hi-grandpa-Mandy--car.html that I was so touched by. I'm especially happy that Amanda's daughter is being welcomed with open arms by her family. I know it's not necessarily easy or expected that a child fathered by her kidnapper and rapist would be accepted so readily. Right or wrong, I'm willing to bet that wouldn't happen everywhere and with every family. I loved how the grandfather said "We’ll get a booster seat for the little one and make it a regular palace on wheels.’

 

[nikb]

Oh as an aside, also in the above article (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...andy--car.html) her grandfather is quoted as saying "‘Mandy is as happy as a freed bird. She told me it feels good to be sleeping properly." BBM - so, there may be something to the point about her father not really knowing how she's sleeping, if it matters.

Personally I think the DailyMail article (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...te-lawyers-claim-kidnapping-victims-fine.html), which is based on a National Enquirer article, is mostly either fabricated from some limited statements the Dad may have made, or anyway it's highly embellished.

All MOO but I'm thinking the media's running out of new an sensational stuff to write about while they leave the girls/young ladies alone (mostly), so they're making things up or making little things seem huge just to get a story. THANK GOODNESS they're honoring the families' requests! Even if her Dad did do some "interview" with the Enquirer and he said Amanda's having a hard time sleeping and hasn't "recovered" from her ordeal less than a month later, is that really shocking news? Who WOULDN'T be having nightmares? I think any one of us could probably write a similar article and attribute it to any relative who happened to speak out at all.

Again just MOO. Even if it is a mostly "invented" article, anything that keeps the media from hounding Amanda, Michelle, and Gina is all good with me.

 

[DD_bwest]

from a May 10th article:

Part of Amanda Berry's East Tennessee family will finally get the reunion they've waited more than a decade for. ... her grandfather, Troy Berry, and three cousins hit the road for Cleveland, to visit with Amanda, who is staying with her sister in Cleveland. Amanda's grandmother and father weren't able to make the trip. Johnny Berry is practically bed-ridden with a spinal problem and recently had surgery. They hope that Amanda will be able to come to Tennessee to visit them, soon.

And she'll get another special treat on her trip to East Tennessee. Her grandfather says he promised her a car before she was kidnapped, and he's been saving for it ever since.

http://www.wbir.com/news/article/27...N-family-heads-north-for-long-awaited-reunion

umm, that article says amanda's daughter is 9.... is that a typo? i thought she was 6..

 

[txsvicki]

I hope his family doesn't try to see the child. Surely not.

 

[KaaBoom]

umm, that article says amanda's daughter is 9.... is that a typo? i thought she was 6..

Since the entire article is filled with typos, it probably a typo.

 

[countryfox]

Has there been any further updates about how the other girls are doing, especially Michelle? She apparently has endured the most tragedy, before, during and after the ordeal. Apart fom her physical suffering, I don't know how her soul can heal, after all she has lived through. She seems to have the least support and the most difficult road to recovery. I pray she will genuinely experience the love and happiness she humanly deserves, to uplift her spirits.

 

[nikb]

Has there been any further updates about how the other girls are doing, especially Michelle? She apparently has endured the most tragedy, before, during and after the ordeal. Apart fom her physical suffering, I don't know how her soul can heal, after all she has lived through. She seems to have the least support and the most difficult road to recovery. I pray she will genuinely experience the love and happiness she humanly deserves, to uplift her spirits.

The most recent thing I think I saw was the People magazine article on them, which really didn't have any new info. I guess technically that National Enquirer one later quoted in some other MSM sources is newer but I'm taking that one with a grain of salt personally.

I'm so torn between wanting the media to leave them alone, and wanting to know how they're doing. Wish we could find out how they're doing without invading their newfound freedom and privacy (I know, I know, not possible - I'm just wishing here).

 

[KaaBoom]

Has there been any further updates about how the other girls are doing, especially Michelle? She apparently has endured the most tragedy, before, during and after the ordeal. Apart fom her physical suffering, I don't know how her soul can heal, after all she has lived through. She seems to have the least support and the most difficult road to recovery. I pray she will genuinely experience the love and happiness she humanly deserves, to uplift her spirits.

This article from today mentions Michelle Knight.

Cleveland Women Can Decide If They Want Alleged Captor's Dogs

By CHRISTINA NG (@ChristinaNg27)
May 24, 2013

Three dogs rescued from alleged Cleveland kidnapper Ariel Castro are in foster care until the three women police say he held captive decide whether any one of them wants to keep the dogs.

The Chihuahua and two terrier-poodle mixes were found at the Ohio house where Castro allegedly kept Amanda Berry, 27, Gina DeJesus, 23, and Michelle Knight, 32, in captivity for more than a decade.

Knight's attorney, Kathryn Joseph, said she appreciates officials' giving the women time and the opportunity to decide whether they want the dogs.

"I think it's really nice that they're hanging on to them because I know they were meaningful, at least to my client," Joseph said today. "I don't know if she's interested, so it's something I have to talk to her about."

Knight is "doing very well" and has not had or needed facial reconstruction surgery, contrary to some reports, Joseph said.

"They're all doing pretty well, amazingly well. You'd be shocked," she said. "They're happy. They're optimistic. They're excited about their futures."

Cleveland Women Can Decide If They Want Alleged Captor's Dogs