Cleveland House Of Horrors Comes Down

NPR | By Doreen McCallister

Published August 7, 2013 at 3:05 AM CDT

A general view of the exterior of the house, where three women who had disappeared as teenagers approximately 10 years ago, were found alive on May 6 in Cleveland, Ohio.

Ariel Castro's house in Cleveland where three women were held captive and raped for about a decade will be demolished this morning.

Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight were freed on May 6.

Brian Bull of member station WCPN reports that electricity at 2207 Seymour Ave. was turned off after family members and friends picked up personal items on Monday.

Cleveland's Plain Dealer reports that Cuyahoga Land Bank plans to complete the demolition in one day and shred all the building materials.

A contractor is tearing down the home at no cost.

It's being demolished as part of a plea deal that spared Castro from a possible death sentence.

Castro said he was "so sorry to lose that property because of the many happy memories that he had there with Gina, Michelle and Amanda," Cuyahoga County Assistant Prosecutor Blaise Thomas told WCPN.

Last week, Castro was sentenced to life in prison plus 1,000 years.

Plans for what will replace the house haven't been made public.