Investigators Say Kidnapper Ariel Castro’s Death Was From Suicide

Not auto-erotic asphyxiation

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Cleveland kidnapper Ariel Castro’s death while in prison was the result of him committing suicide by hanging himself, two correction consultants investigating the incident said Tuesday.

Their report dismissed earlier suggestions that Castro may have died on Sept. 3 accidentally from something called auto-erotic asphyxiation, which involves depriving oneself of oxygen during masturbation. The consultants said that all evidence, including Castro’s journal and a shrine of photographs, points to suicide, the Associated Press reports. A coroner had already dismissed reports of auto-erotic asphyxiation in October, but this new report confirms her findings.

The consultants said that the fact that he would spend the rest of his life in prison drove Castro to commit suicide. Castro had pleaded guilty to holding three women hostage in a Cleveland home for years.

[AP]