Missing Girls Escaped from House of Horror; Ariel Castro Charged with Kidnapping and Rape; Jody Arias Found Guilty
PIERS MORGAN, CNN SHOW ANCHOR: This is "Piers Morgan Live"." Welcome to our viewers in the United States and around the world. It is midnight on the East Coast. It is 9:00 p.m. on the West Coast. Tonight, two huge stories are dominating America. Ariel Castro charged with kidnapping and raping Amanda Berry, Gina Dejesus and Michelle Knight. His brothers, O'Neil and Pedro, will face no charges of the case. Listen to this dramatic police dispatch recording of the moment of the rescue.</s>POLICEMAN: This might be for real. We found them. We found them.</s>MORGAN: And, in Phoenix, sex, lies, and murder. Jodi Arias guilty. Police say she is on suicide watch. And, tonight, she said she would rather get a death penalty than life in prison. Listen to what she told the Fox affiliate in Phoenix.</s>JODI ARIAS, CONVICTED FOR FIRST-DEGREE MURDER: I said years ago that I'd rather get death than life and that still is true today.</s>MORGAN: I will talk to a friend of Jodi Arias and the man that she killed. Meanwhile, in Cleveland, joyous family reunion as two of the victims, Michelle Knight's mother still hasn't seen her.</s>BARBARA KNIGHT, MICHELLE KNIGHT'S MOTHER: I'm just hoping that my daughter let me see her because I love her.</s>MORGAN: Police state that the three young women left the house of horror only twice in a decade, and watched their parents on T.V. at vigils. They say when Amanda Berry escaped on Monday, the other two victims chose not to run. And, that Ariel Castro, seen here in custody, would test them by pretending to leave, and then beating them if they made a move to escape. They also called a case against Ariel Castro a "Slam Dunk." Let's go now to CNN's Poppy Harlow, is live for us in Cleveland. Poppy, a lot of more dramatic details emerging all through the day and night on this case and what can you tell me about the latest?</s>POPPY HARLOW, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Some very disturbing details, Piers, coming out just in the last hours. So, CNN being told by a police source, it is familiar with this investigation that Amanda Berry, one of those three captive girls had the baby that is now her 6-year-old child in the home of Arial Castro; but, that baby was delivered by Michelle Knight. That is what these police source says. That source says the Castro grabbed Michelle Knight and told her to deliver the baby -- to deliver Amanda's baby. We are also told that that baby was born, Piers, in a plastic tub to contain the amniotic fluids of the pregnancy. Just pinning a picture here of what a disturbing scene. We are also told that when the baby was born -- when Amanda's baby was born the baby stopped breathing, that everyone around started screaming. And, Castro said if that baby dies, I am going to kill you. Also an important thing that I want to tell you here, Piers, is that that source tells us, quote, "What is most incredible here is that this girl who knew nothing about childbirth was able to deliver a baby that is now a healthy 6-year-old girl." So, this paints a chaotic and panicked and very, very, picture, Piers.</s>MORGAN: Absolutely extraordinary details. Ariel Castro has obviously been charged with rape and kidnap charges. He is due to appear in court tomorrow, but his two brothers have not had any child charges filed against them. Innocence belief now from the investigating authorities that they are completely innocent. How can we read into this from the information today?</s>HARLOW: That is absolutely the case, Piers. Innocent police believe the brothers are in terms of these crimes of alleged rape and kidnapping. The police say they found, quote, "No facts to link O'Neil and Pedro Castro to the kidnappings. However, both brothers will appear in municipal court in Cleveland tomorrow. We are told on misdemeanour charges and other related incidents. But, this is very important because, you know, the photos of these two men -- the two brothers have been up along side Arial's, you know, this whole time the police have arrested them thinking that they had enough probable cause to arrest them related to these charges against Ariel Castro. And, now they are saying they have no facts to link them to each other. What I also think is very important here that we are told is that the police believe that the brothers were in the dark about this. And, this shows us just how --how private this all was. The fact that the brothers of Castro, the police are now saying had no idea that this was going on. It shows just how separated Castro in his entire life that he is alleged to have had was from even his own family members.</s>MORGAN: Poppy Harlow, live in Cleveland tonight. Thank you very much, indeed. Those three young women were missing for nearly a decade, but their families never gave up hope. Listen to Amanda Berry's cousin today.</s>TASHEENA MITCHELL, AMANDA BERRY'S COUSIN: Horrible. I mean you always want to keep hope, but after so many years goes by, you lose a little bit but in the back of your mind, you still keep it. I mean like Jaycee Dugard, I think is her name, I mean went -- was missing for 18 years, and they found her. And, you know -- so, when you hear stories like that, that keeps your hope alive.</s>MORGAN: I want to bring in now Karen McHenry who is a program manager for Homeless Youth Programs in Bellefaire, Cleveland. Karen, so many people are horrified by the details of this case, cannot believe that three young women can be kidnapped and then held in this kind of dungeon for ten years without anybody knowing anything about them, or even if they are alive. What is your explanation if you like for how this could have happen and how nobody could have even had a clue that they were there?</s>KAREN MCHENRY, PROGRAM MANAGER FOR HOMELESS YOUTH PROGRAM: You know, I really don't know how they couldn't have a clue that they were there, but we know that when victims -- we work at Bellefaire with victims of sexual trafficking and abuse and neglect, and when they are under the control of someone that is so aggressive and abusing them physically and sexually, they develop a learned helplessness, and a learned helplessness. And, this is because of their abuse. So, because they were living in ultimate fear, many of the victims we worked with every day at Bellefaire are living in fear, have a very unpredictable lives and never sure when they are going to get fed or taken care of and nurture.</s>MORGAN: I mean what is clearly emerging now about this man Ariel Castro is that he ruled with utter fear that he would even do tests, where he would pretend to leave the house, and if these girls tried to escape, he would beat them up. Appalling details of multiple pregnancies involving one of the girls Michelle Knight and of course, this moment when Amanda Berry gave birth in a tub and they were all warned if the baby died, they would all die. I mean utterly appalling. And is this the kind of thing that the sex traffickers in your experience do to these young women to ensure they stay in captivity?</s>MCHENRY: Yes, they do a great deal of manipulating and they really mess with -- they really -- with their minds -- they make them very un-empowered and they put a great deal of fear over them, whether they are going to hurt themselves or hurt their family members or hurt somebody else. So, it is crucial for these victims. And -- I mean I guess the one thing that we would like to celebrate here in Cleveland is that with this horror that these women have survived, and we just are all marvelled that they have survived. And, it is just that their spirits are so resilient, and that is really what we want to focus on is that they are survivors.</s>MORGAN: Absolutely. Karen McHenry, thank you very much indeed for joining me. Now, I want to bring in Juan Perez. He is a neighbor of Ariel Castro. He lived just two doors down from the house where these three young women were held captive. Thank you for joining me, Mr. Perez. You were for the last 22 years, a neighbour of Ariel Castro, living just two doors down, but you knew nothing about this appalling other life he was apparently leading. What is your reaction to this discovery?</s>JUAN PEREZ, ARIEL CASTRO'S NEIGHBOR: I was very just -- I didn't know how I felt. I was very excited, you know, that the girls, you know -- I was very excited that the girls were found, but at the same time I felt guilt.</s>MORGAN: I mean, you knew Ariel Castro very well. You helped refurbish his front porch a few summers ago. What kind of man is he?</s>PEREZ: I mean I knew him for 22 years since I was 5 years old. He seemed like a great man. He is very helpful. You know, he helped me changed my tire, you know, once when I was 7 years old. He would ask how school was. When I was a teenager, he asked about relationships. He just seemed like a really nice guy in the neighborhood. Always, you know, talking to people of their outside. If we are having a get together, he was a part of it. Always said hi, even if he was on the corner and he saw you. He had a great mask. Everyone thought he was a nice guy.</s>MORGAN: Juan, it does seem extraordinary but even somebody living as closely as you did to him for that long and knowing him so well, didn't have even an inkling of what was going on there given how depraved we now know it was. Did you have any concerns over the last ten years that something may not be entirely right about this man's house?</s>PEREZ: Well, Mr. Morgan to be honest, I thought the house is vacant the last couple of years. I thought maybe he had another property and you know he just came by time to time to check up on it a few times a week. He would only be here for what I saw ten minutes to an hour at a time. I just thought he was checking on the property. He has not sold it yet. Next door -- the next two houses next door are vacant, boarded up. I saw that his house had the windows covered up. I just thought -- I thought it was vacant. I never saw him stay -- I mean no, I never saw anything to be honest, nothing.</s>MORGAN: Absolutely extraordinary. Juan Perez, it must be a huge shock to you. I appreciate your joining me, thank you very much.</s>PEREZ: Thank you.</s>MORGAN: The other big story tonight Jodi Arias verdict. The jury found her guilty of first-degree murder in the death of her ex- boyfriend and now she will decide -- they decide if she should get death penalty. Now, CNN's Casey Wian is in Phoenix for the very latest. Casey, no great surprise, I don't think that she was found guilty. The big question now, will she get the death penalty, and that may be decided tomorrow.</s>CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It could be decided as early as tomorrow, Piers, but more likely what I am hearing it may take a couple of day days. The prosecution has to prove that there were aggravating circumstances. That is called the aggravation phase that is going to begin at 1:00 local time in the afternoon. And, what that means is that they have to prove, persuade all of the jurors that this murder was committed with extreme cruelty. If they are able to persuade the jury, get unanimous vote on that, then it moves to the actual death penalty phase of the trial. And, that is where the defense attorneys will present mitigating factors, mitigating evidence as to why Jodi Arias' life should be spared. If the jury does not find that there was extreme cruelty in this case, then what happens is it goes directly to the judge, she has two options. She can either sentence Jodi Arias to 25 years to life or life without the possibility of release at any future time, Piers.</s>MORGAN: Casey, this is amazing interview that she gave afterwards when she said she would prefer to have the death penalty, something she did say before. But, now that she knows she is being found guilty, she would rather die than face life imprisonment. What is your make of that?</s>WIAN: A lot of people are scratching their heads. A lot of attorneys are scratching their heads, wondering why she gave this interview. Why authorities here allowed the interview to take place. She did say that she preferred death as opposed to a life sentence in prison. She also sent out a tweet through a friend who has been tweeting on Jodi Arias's behalf throughout the trial a couple of days ago saying that she had considered suicide. That is something that she has also mentioned in interviews previously. So, as a result of that, the Maricopa County Sheriff's office has put her on a suicide watch. They say they are not going to be allowing anymore interviews as long as that suicide watch is in effect. Piers.</s>MORGAN: Casey Wian, thank you very much indeed. Coming up next, much more on the two big breaking stories of the Arias Verdict and the kidnapping and rape charges for Ariel Castro, accused of keeping three young women prisoner for ten years. And, later, John Walsh, who was thanked personally by one of the families today. That is after the break.