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

[Bravo]

Michelle's Statements in Court yesterday had to be so therapeutic for her. Michelle had the freedom to walk in and out of that Courtroom. Free to speak her mind. This time it was "the monster" in chains and stripped of his freedom. As it should be.

 

[stillwatersc]

I think there is a good chance Michelle's son already knows what happened to his mom. At 13 he is exposed to news stories and if he is in foster care and not adopted, he would have her last name.

 

[burbqueen]

WOOOOOOOOOW! MK, here we were all worried about her. She is one tough chick!

I dunno about some of you but the AC speech unnerved me. Seriously. I wanted to scream half the time while me and my mom yelled at the TV. Blaming the dead ex-wife for him beating her? I was floored. Cause of course if someone pushes your buttons or make you really angry just beat the crud outta them.

A house of harmony? WTF? Consensual sex? Yeah I'm sure it's every teenage girls dream to have sex with some 30 something year old, balding, troll. Yup. I'm just so irked!!

 

[CHICANA]

I just heard Marc klass on HLN say how blown away he was when she said that...She apparently sent a letter to his foundation :facepalm:

Whoa...Why do I have tears streaming down my face now ????:blushing:

Ohhhh I think now that I know this sicko will be gone forevermore..I can put my anger aside now and allow my emotions to come thru...

I don't know, but I'm at work so I have to wipe them quickly before they stream.

 

[CHICANA]

WOOOOOOOOOW! MK, here we were all worried about her. She is one tough chick!

I dunno about some of you but the AC speech unnerved me. Seriously. I wanted to scream half the time while me and my mom yelled at the TV. Blaming the dead ex-wife for him beating her? I was floored. Cause of course if someone pushes your buttons or make you really angry just beat the crud outta them.

A house of harmony? WTF? Consensual sex? Yeah I'm sure it's every teenage girls dream to have sex with some 30 something year old, balding, troll. Yup. I'm just so irked!!

I feel the same way, but I can't stop myself from thinking he would have likely got away with it all if he'd have just killed them. For some reason they weren't disposable to him, something kept him from going that far.

 

[mothert]

My hope is he sees all the news stories about how pathetic everyone thinks he is. He was very aware and upset at being called a monster. I want him to know that everyone believes he is the sleazy, evil slimeball that he is. I want him to wake up everyday locked up, powerless...and to know Amanda is out there enjoying concerts, Michelle is living her life to the fullest and he will never ever have power over them again. The one I am worried about is Gina.

 

[KaaBoom]

I think the claims he is living in foster care is coming from Michelle's relatives. I don't know if they are the most reliable bunch.
If he hasn't been actually adopted, then hopefully she gets to at least see him.

Honestly I'd probably give it 50-50 odds of being correct. But the report did come from her brother, who I believe is the only member of her family to meet Michelle since her release. So the report could have some credibility.

 

[KaaBoom]

I think there is a good chance Michelle's son already knows what happened to his mom. At 13 he is exposed to news stories and if he is in foster care and not adopted, he would have her last name.

I'm not so sure about that. Does he even know who his mother is? And if the reports of him being in foster care are wrong, and he has actually been adopted, then he would have no legal right to even know what his birth name was.

 

[ScarlettScarpetta]

I'm not so sure about that. Does he even know who his mother is? And if the reports of him being in foster care are wrong, and he has actually been adopted, then he would have no legal right to even know what his birth name was.

I wonder about that? Since she did not willing not show up for court and was kept from fighting from him by this monster. I wonder if there is not some legal recourse for her to at least end up with some kind of visitation or basis to fight the adoption. She never willingly gave him up. I have seen this happen with fathers who did not know their children were adopted...

 

[ohiogirl]

BBM: said every self-excusing rapist ever. :vomit:

So, what was this 'other side' that was supposed to come out to show that he is not the monster everyone is saying? Rot in jail, MONSTER.

We are still waiting.

 

[Coldpizza]

I don't know if you guys have talked about this, but I was surprised that AC made mention of Amanda not being too traumatized because she looked just fine at the concert. Did he see the video?

 

[mysteriew]

I wonder about that? Since she did not willing not show up for court and was kept from fighting from him by this monster. I wonder if there is not some legal recourse for her to at least end up with some kind of visitation or basis to fight the adoption. She never willingly gave him up. I have seen this happen with fathers who did not know their children were adopted...

I wondered about that too. She didn't appear for the hearing, but that wasn't of her own volition.

I also think by her bringing it up during her statement that she believes there is some hope. And she has attorneys now to help her, which she didn't before.

 

[mysteriew]

It is kinda ironic. And kind of shows how easily we can jump to judgement without knowing all the facts.

When the girls were first released, I like many others worried about Michele the most. I thought she seemed most vulnerable. I thought that probably Gina would recover the best simply because she had such strong family support. And I had high hopes for Amanda, she did have some family and she had her daughter.

Reports that have come out now indicate that Michelle took the most violence. It has also been said that she would try to protect Gina. Even to the point of sometimes standing in for her. Gina was the youngest of the three. Reports indicate that he tried to make Amanda his "gf." During her captivity she was aware of losing her Mother and she delivered a child.

Now my concerns are different. Michelle has her vulnerabilities. But she appears to be a strong and loving woman. I do think she will heal, as long as she doesn't end up trusting the wrong person and ending up in a mess again.

Gina, little has come out. But there are some reports that she isn't doing as well. Hopefully with more time and counseling that will change. Amanda I do worry about. I understand she doesn't want to speak publicly about it. I understand that she wants to get out and about. But something about the statement read in court bothers me. IMO it seemed like she was just wanting to pretend it didn't happen. That is not a good sign. She will never be able to heal if she doesn't allow herself to go through the process of healing.

Michelle seems to be doing the best of the three.

Now they are rescued. And the second step, the formalities of a trial for AC is over. Gradually life will become more normal for them. Press will soon lose interest.

Michelle seems to enjoy the attention. She has come a long way. I wonder if 10 years ago if she would have even felt herself capable of living through what she lived through? Let alone making a video statement that would be watched by so many people. And she even got up in public and made a statement. And did it with confidence and grace. Michelle..... you've come a long way baby!

 

[KaaBoom]

I wondered about that too. She didn't appear for the hearing, but that wasn't of her own volition.

I also think by her bringing it up during her statement that she believes there is some hope. And she has attorneys now to help her, which she didn't before.

I would guess that her parental rights were terminated by the courts long ago. She certainly would have a right to go to court and try to get them restored. But even with good attorneys, I would expect it to be a long difficult process.

 

[annmarie62]

Wow, he is getting all talkative now and looking directly at the judge.

I liked him better while he was staring at the floor and not talking.

Me too! He is showing his TRUE COLORS now- what happened to the unkempt, terrified-looking mouse who wouldn't even look up during his earlier hearings?? All a front- now he is apparently comfortable and quite (unbelievably!) sure of himself, and we see the truly depraved mindset of this MONSTER... and yes, Castro, you ARE a monster, and no one cares about the BS spewing forth from your mouth. He is completely and absolutely WITHOUT remorse! I couldn't believe what I was hearing as he whined about his sex/porn 'addiction,' as if his perversions actually excused any of his evil acts! Just below the surface, it was easy to see the contempt and rage he was actually feeling as he tried to minimize his (hundreds of) crimes. The household was 'harmonious'? The sex was mainly 'consensual'?? WTF?!!! And to INSIST, over and over that he is "not violent," while the courtroom is viewing photos of rusty chains and padlocks? UGH. I hate this man so much.

 

[Squeeze]

It is kinda ironic. And kind of shows how easily we can jump to judgement without knowing all the facts.

When the girls were first released, I like many others worried about Michele the most. I thought she seemed most vulnerable. I thought that probably Gina would recover the best simply because she had such strong family support. And I had high hopes for Amanda, she did have some family and she had her daughter.

Reports that have come out now indicate that Michelle took the most violence. It has also been said that she would try to protect Gina. Even to the point of sometimes standing in for her. Gina was the youngest of the three. Reports indicate that he tried to make Amanda his "gf." During her captivity she was aware of losing her Mother and she delivered a child.

Now my concerns are different. Michelle has her vulnerabilities. But she appears to be a strong and loving woman. I do think she will heal, as long as she doesn't end up trusting the wrong person and ending up in a mess again.

Gina, little has come out. But there are some reports that she isn't doing as well. Hopefully with more time and counseling that will change. Amanda I do worry about. I understand she doesn't want to speak publicly about it. I understand that she wants to get out and about. But something about the statement read in court bothers me. IMO it seemed like she was just wanting to pretend it didn't happen. That is not a good sign. She will never be able to heal if she doesn't allow herself to go through the process of healing.

Michelle seems to be doing the best of the three.

Now they are rescued. And the second step, the formalities of a trial for AC is over. Gradually life will become more normal for them. Press will soon lose interest.

Michelle seems to enjoy the attention. She has come a long way. I wonder if 10 years ago if she would have even felt herself capable of living through what she lived through? Let alone making a video statement that would be watched by so many people. And she even got up in public and made a statement. And did it with confidence and grace. Michelle..... you've come a long way baby!

I personally think that Michelle could have a career in being an advocate for victims. Of course she would need to finish her education, but she is a very caring young woman who could certainly be a role model. Helping others would help her heal as well.

 

[burbqueen]

Yeah Gina is who i worry about. I read in some article that she doesnt talk much, even to her family.

 

[Flutterby80]

It is kinda ironic. And kind of shows how easily we can jump to judgement without knowing all the facts.

When the girls were first released, I like many others worried about Michele the most. I thought she seemed most vulnerable. I thought that probably Gina would recover the best simply because she had such strong family support. And I had high hopes for Amanda, she did have some family and she had her daughter.

Reports that have come out now indicate that Michelle took the most violence. It has also been said that she would try to protect Gina. Even to the point of sometimes standing in for her. Gina was the youngest of the three. Reports indicate that he tried to make Amanda his "gf." During her captivity she was aware of losing her Mother and she delivered a child.

Now my concerns are different. Michelle has her vulnerabilities. But she appears to be a strong and loving woman. I do think she will heal, as long as she doesn't end up trusting the wrong person and ending up in a mess again.

Gina, little has come out. But there are some reports that she isn't doing as well. Hopefully with more time and counseling that will change. Amanda I do worry about. I understand she doesn't want to speak publicly about it. I understand that she wants to get out and about. But something about the statement read in court bothers me. IMO it seemed like she was just wanting to pretend it didn't happen. That is not a good sign. She will never be able to heal if she doesn't allow herself to go through the process of healing.

Michelle seems to be doing the best of the three.

Now they are rescued. And the second step, the formalities of a trial for AC is over. Gradually life will become more normal for them. Press will soon lose interest.

Michelle seems to enjoy the attention. She has come a long way. I wonder if 10 years ago if she would have even felt herself capable of living through what she lived through? Let alone making a video statement that would be watched by so many people. And she even got up in public and made a statement. And did it with confidence and grace. Michelle..... you've come a long way baby!

I see this as defiance. She is telling Castro "You can't hurt me anymore. You did not break my spirit, and I will not let you define me. I am free, but you will never again be free." I love that about Michelle. I get the feeling that she may be a big reason they were all 3 able to come out of this alive. She used her strength to do whatever it took to keep them all alive, IMO, as much as she was able. I feel so much admiration and love for Michelle, a woman I have never met, and likely will never meet.

 

[nikb]

Finally got a chance to watch the whole video. Wow, Michelle is amazing. And so tiny! I hadn't realized just how tiny she was til seeing this video.

Also kind of thinking that the earlier theory that AC might've been drugged in some of his hearings could be correct. He looks so different here. Or is he really that night and day because of "getting" to see one of the ladies in the courtroom? He's beyond a disgusting excuse for a human being regardless IMO, but it's strange to see the difference, especially if it's not somehow drug induced.

Just from Michelle's statement alone I'm happy they didn't pursue the death penalty. Sounds like she's talked to the other ladies, and sounds like they all want to see him imprisoned for life.

Small political rant... I'm glad he's not in California, where "20 years" seems to = "a week or two" (yes I'm exaggerating, but the sentences are pretty ridiculous). It sounds like he'll actually be in prison for the rest of his life (however long that may be) where he is. Good.

 

[nikb]

Sorry if this is a repeat, I don't recall seeing this posted before or at least not recently, and thought it might be of interest with the sentencing info coming out. BBC documentary:
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZrnFEyi17E"]Cleveland kidnapping: BBC crime documentary 2013 - The case of Amanda Berry - YouTube[/ame]