Did Ariel Leave the Door Open on Purpose?

[KaaBoom]

I wasnt under the impression he left any door unlocked, Amanda and Charley had to kick the door open so it appears to me that she just got help as she was too weak to do it herself. I don't think Mr Castro left anything open or unlocked.

Thats true, but he may have left some inside doors unlocked, that allowed her to get to the outside door. We have all seen the pictures of the padlocked doors on the inside.

 

[KaaBoom]

The way I understand it, the front door to the home (wooden door), was left unlocked. The aluminum storm door was locked with a chain. The bottom panel of the storm door had to be kicked in so that Amanda and the child could crawl through it and escape.

At first I thought leaving the 'big door,' as Amanda called it, unlocked was an oversight. I assumed that he left through the front door to make a quick trip to McDonald's for food. Now that we've learned that he only used the back door I have to wonder why the front door was unlocked. Had he used it recently for some reason and neglected to lock it back up, or was it intentional?

I have posted my suspicions that the wood door was dead bolted from the inside, and maybe also padlocked. Maybe all she had to do is break the padlock and unlock the dead bolts to get through that door. Then maybe she got caught off guard by the storm door not being able to be opened. So she decided to call for help.

Anyways its pretty obvious that he mostly used fear and intimidation to keep them from escaping, more then locks and chains.

 

[Cher352]

Charles said he brought over the mail

That is what I was thinking. Didn't Charles say he brought over the mail that was mistakenly put in his mailbox right before Charles headed out for McD's?

And then in one of Charles' interviews he stated that they had to break out the bottom panel of the storm door because AC had that door rigged so that it would only open a few inches.

I think AC didn't lock the other locks on the "big" door after Charles left for one reason or another.

If this is the case Charles was the reason that Amanda was given the opportunity to even attempt the escape.

 

[KaaBoom]

Here is the answer from an article posted in another thread. He just messed up.

Inside the house, Berry stares at the front door. Castro has left it unlocked. Is he testing her? He does that sometimes. She thinks about it some more. Will she have another opportunity? She moves toward the door, pulls it open.

Another door. A storm door. Chained or bolted so it can't open wide enough for her to escape.

Berry sees people outside on a neighbor's porch. She cries out and reaches through the crack.

"Help get me out of here!"

The rescue of Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight: 30 minutes that ended a decade of nightmares

 

[Bee Happy]

He locked the screen. If he wanted them to get out, seems he would have left everything open. What other doors did he usually lock so that they couldn't get out? Bedroom doors? The front door? He probably thought he wasn't going to be gone that long (going to McDonalds) and thought the screen was enough, since they were usually too scared to even try.

 

[txsvicki]

I don't think he was wanting to get caught and is a tricky psychopath with no remorse. He'd probably have killed the women and talked his mother into helping with the child or maybe even killed her too if he'd allowed her to go hungry for periods of time. He was either testing both mother and child or just forgot to lock the wooden door.

 

[Chilly Willy]

He locked the screen. If he wanted them to get out, seems he would have left everything open. What other doors did he usually lock so that they couldn't get out? Bedroom doors? The front door? He probably thought he wasn't going to be gone that long (going to McDonalds) and thought the screen was enough, since they were usually too scared to even try.

That's what I think too. Although he rarely used the front door, he apparently did that day when Ramsey brought him the mis-delivered mail. I think he either forgot or didn't bother to lock the door back up because he was just going out for a few minutes or he trusted that the girls would be too afraid to attempt an escape.

It's been reported that the only thing he seems to feel remorse about is being caught. That doesn't sound to me like someone who intentionally allowed himself to be found out.

I also agree with the earlier poster who said that if he wanted to dispose of the girls he would probably have dumped them somewhere and disappeared.

 

[Ladylub]

Here is the answer from an article posted in another thread. He just messed up.

Inside the house, Berry stares at the front door. Castro has left it unlocked. Is he testing her? He does that sometimes. She thinks about it some more. Will she have another opportunity? She moves toward the door, pulls it open.

Another door. A storm door. Chained or bolted so it can't open wide enough for her to escape.

Berry sees people outside on a neighbor's porch. She cries out and reaches through the crack.

"Help get me out of here!"

The rescue of Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight: 30 minutes that ended a decade of nightmares

So glad they have people who hang out outside their house. Around here we are the only ones that seems to hang out outside for fun.

 

[KaaBoom]

That's what I think too. Although he rarely used the front door, he apparently did that day when Ramsey brought him the mis-delivered mail. I think he either forgot or didn't bother to lock the door back up because he was just going out for a few minutes or he trusted that the girls would be too afraid to attempt an escape.

:thumb:Bingo. Thats got to be it. He just forgot to lock the the door back up after Charles Ramsey dropped off his mail. Probably the first time that happened in ten years. He would have never deliberately left it unlocked like that. He probably had the door chained so he could open it just a few inches, so he could talk to anyone who came to the door, receive mail and packages, and stuff like that.

 

[KaaBoom]

So glad they have people who hang out outside their house. Around here we are the only ones that seems to hang out outside for fun.

In urban neighborhoods like that, everybody socializes on their front porches. I've had a few friends who lived in places like that. I knew all their neighbors. Because every time I'd go visit them, they'd be out front talking to the neighbors.

 

[thisismyusername]

From what I understand, there's a "storm" door and a big door, right? And only the big door was unlocked?
IMO he probably just dropped the ball or figured they wouldn't do anything. Thinking back to Jaycee D. and how she would go in public.

 

[weedemout]

I don't think so, look at how he is acting in court; head down, ashamed like the pathetic coward he is. If he left it open to get caught he'd be basking in his moment. He just got cocky and careless, ten years will do that to you.

 

[Ray_of_hope]

Slightly off topic and I'm sorry if this has already been posted: I saw the interview with the brothers this morning and while I'm glad they are horrified, I am steaming because the reporter asked Onil what upset him mostly (or something like that) and he replied "What he did to me and my family." What about the girls and the babies??!!!!!! I am smokin' mad!!!!!

 

[weedemout]

I think that's a normal thought. Most people are selfish and think of themselves first. I just can't fathom how that one brother was so sure the police digging was such a waste of money. I don't believe in coincidences. Unless he was parroting something he heard.

 

[jjenny]

I am pretty sure that after digging was completed, and nothing was found, the brother said digging was a waste of money.

 

[Ladylub]

In urban neighborhoods like that, everybody socializes on their front porches. I've had a few friends who lived in places like that. I knew all their neighbors. Because every time I'd go visit them, they'd be out front talking to the neighbors.

Growing up I grew up in a neighborhood like that. Many people would hang out outside. Where I live now it's rare to see people unless they are in a car. I have met most of the people along the way walking my daughter to school on trash day as they take their trash out in the morning. Outside of that I do not see anyone just sitting to sit. We get many stares as if we are weird for being outside. I guarantee I know the cars in the area, I know the people and I can pick out who does not belong. People call it nosy I call it aware of my surrounding.

 

[Hello_Kitty]

What door was even left unlocked? The front door was locked, she couldn't even get out. Neighbors had to break it.
If he was leaving some internal door locked on purpose, why didn't he leave the front door unlocked?[/QUOTE

I agree with you that the door was locked, the neighbour who saved the girls broke down the door, he said he couldn't get the door open, he tried to pull it but said it was locked.

 

[Hello_Kitty]

Slightly off topic and I'm sorry if this has already been posted: I saw the interview with the brothers this morning and while I'm glad they are horrified, I am steaming because the reporter asked Onil what upset him mostly (or something like that) and he replied "What he did to me and my family." What about the girls and the babies??!!!!!! I am smokin' mad!!!!!

I noticed that as well, whilst it is true that the families of perpetrators do suffer as well when things like this happen, they should have been more empathic to the girls. But, on the other hand, they were on TV, probably not a common thing for them, probably very nervous, and they don't appear to have alot of education, at least Onil doesn't, the other one was better-spoken.

 

[Hisimage]

Slightly off topic and I'm sorry if this has already been posted: I saw the interview with the brothers this morning and while I'm glad they are horrified, I am steaming because the reporter asked Onil what upset him mostly (or something like that) and he replied "What he did to me and my family." What about the girls and the babies??!!!!!! I am smokin' mad!!!!!

Ya, I just watched it and thought the same thing.

At this point these people are in shock, still. It's all they can think about because they are probably being hounded and threatened for some time, or since then.

Not condoning or forgiving for a selfish statement, just saying.

PS: I had to re-write my post a few times because it would have been edited and maybe I'd be in trouble.

 

[flourish]

Okay, I've decided my opinion on this--I agree with those of you who say that he just messed up that day due to the neighbor mail delivery--I'm guessing he just overlooked re-locking the "big door." He may have become a bit more complacent and less stringent in his routines as time went on.

If he was planning to "allow" an escape, I agree he would have taken them somewhere and dropped them off, or made certain he was no where to be found--I can't imagine he'd allow an escape knowing he'd be caught.