Castro Called Captive's Mom From Girl's Cell

Just when you thought the worst details of the Cleveland kidnapping case had been aired, more facts emerge via police tapes of Ariel Castro's interrogation. In addition to Castro describing his thoughts of suicide, NBC News reports the tapes reveal a shocking confession: Castro once called Amanda Berry's mom—using Berry's cellphone—to tell her her daughter was safe and now his "wife." He hung up before she could respond, Castro said. Castro also explains on the tapes that it was his own young daughter (born to Berry) who pleaded with him to unlock his house's doors, ultimately leading to the three women's escape: "I let my guard down," he said, when he left a bedroom door open, allowing Berry to yell for help from the front door.

NBC News notes that Castro seemed surprised he got away with his crimes for so long, telling police they missed a chance to catch him on surveillance cameras outside Gina DeJesus' school. "You could have broke the case right then and there," he said, per the AP. And though he wouldn't commit suicide for another nine years, a 2004 note shows Castro long battled suicidal thoughts. "I want to put an end to my life," he wrote, "and let the devil deal with me." During the interrogation, he told police, "I just want to crash through the window." (More Ariel Castro stories.)