Ariel Castro's fate: electric chair or an endless prison term?

Phillip Garrido's prison term was 431 years – and there was only one victim, Jaycee Lee Dugard, in his case

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(Image credit: Getty Images)

ARIEL CASTRO could face the death penalty if prosecutors decide to charge him with aggravated murder over the forced miscarriages allegedly suffered by at least one of the three women he held hostage at his home in Cleveland, Ohio. If he avoids the electric chair, the 52-year-old is likely to face a prison term many times longer than his life expectancy.

Possible death penalty: Aggravated murder is a more severe charge than murder and under Ohio law it calls for the death penalty. "Terminating a pregnancy while committing kidnapping" qualifies for aggravated murder. Early reports claimed there were many instances of the women being beaten to prevent them giving birth. Only Amanda Berry was allowed to have her baby and as a result came out of Castro's house on Monday with a six-year-old daughter. County prosecutor Timothy McGinty suggested yesterday he intends to pursue aggravated murder charges as well as the kidnapping and rape charges put to Castro in court yesterday.

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