The setting sun shimmered off of wind swept waves on Lake Erie as my plane took off for Chicago and I headed back to normal life, knowing that the people who I covered over the past three days will need a lot more than a 400 mile flight to return to their normal life. I flew to Cleveland on Monday after three women, Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight, and a child escaped from the home of Ariel Castro after allegedly being held there for about a decade.
This was driven home to me on my last emotional stop in this northeast Ohio city, visiting Melissa Knight’s grandmother, Deborah Knight, at the end of a brick street that had more in common with a roller coaster than a freeway. While capturing her interactions with neighbor Sandra Guisao, I could tell that the news of Melissa’s escape was causing her to experience a range of emotions. One could only imagine the horror these women had to endure after allegedly being held captive and raped for about a decade and the excitement they must have experienced when they made their escape.
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Neighbor Sandra Guisao hugs Deborah Knight, grandmother of Michelle Knight, outside her Cleveland, Ohio, home May 9, 2013. ThreeÊClevelandÊwomen, including Michelle, were found alive after vanishing in their own neighborhood about a decade ago. REUTERS/John Gress
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On the morning that I met Deborah Knight, I was also in the room with Castro as he was arraigned on the charges. He seemed meek, staring at the floor. I read in a newspaper that some observed him chewing the collar of his jump suit. His mouth was close enough in the photos, but I can’t say I saw it myself as I was too focused on trying to capture him when he looked up just enough so I could see his eyes. In these situations, the defendants never carry themselves the way you expect, leaving you with more and more questions… questions we will probably never get the answers to.
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Ariel Castro appears with public defender Kathleen DeMetz for his initial court appearance in Cleveland, Ohio, May 9, 2013. Castro, 52, a veteran school bus driver fired from his job last fall, was formally charged with kidnapping and raping the three women, who were rescued from his house on May 6 evening shortly before his arrest. REUTERS/John Gress
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Aman walks past the home in Cleveland, Ohio, May 8, 2013, where three Cleveland women found alive after vanishing in their own neighborhood for about a decade ago. REUTERS/John Gress
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Ricky DeJesus hold his head in his hand outside his family’s home in Cleveland, Ohio, May 7, 2013. His sister, Georgina DeJesus, was one of threeÊClevelandÊwomen found alive after vanishing in their own neighborhood for about a decade ago. REUTERS/John Gress
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FBI agents search the a home in Cleveland, Ohio, May 8, 2013, on the same street as a home where three Cleveland women were found alive after vanishing in their own neighborhood for about a decade ago. REUTERS/John Gress
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A missing posters and balloons adorne the home of Beth Berry in Cleveland, Ohio, May 7, 2013, the sister of Amanda Berry who was found alive after vanishing about a decade ago. REUTERS/John Gress
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FBI agents search the a home in Cleveland, Ohio, May 8, 2013, on the same street as a home where threeÊClevelandÊwomen were found alive after vanishing in their own neighborhood for about a decade ago. REUTERS/John Gress
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A woman walks past the home in Cleveland, Ohio, May 7, 2013, where three Cleveland women found alive after vanishing in their own neighborhood for about a decade ago. REUTERS/John Gress
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FBI agents search the home in Cleveland, Ohio, May 7, 2013, where three Cleveland women were found alive after vanishing in their own neighborhood for about a decade ago. REUTERS/John Gress
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Both of these moments were in stark contrast to the day before when I photographed Amanda Berry’s and Gina DeJesus’ homecoming. At the Berry house, we were told that Amanda would make a statement when she arrived. Instead a chaotic scene erupted when she arrived in a van under what appeared to be a blanket. Her sister, Beth Serrano, then made the statement instead. Serrano caught me, and I am sure a lot of the other media, off guard when she quickly moved up within 10 feet of the phalanx of media and began to give a statement while holding back tears. We had expected her to speak from the porch and many of the cameras were left without a shot causing the media to crowd in, pushing and shoving, to capture the petite sibling. Being a tall photographer sometimes has its advantages as I was able to capture the moment… if she had only stayed on the porch.
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Beth Serrano, sister of Amanda Berry, walks up to address the media in Cleveland, Ohio, May 8, 2013. Berry, Gina DeJesus, Michelle Knight and Berry’s 6-year-old daughter escaped a Cleveland home where they were held captive. Berry, now 27, was found with her daughter, conceived and born during her captivity, along with DeJesus, 23, who vanished aged 14 in 2004, and Knight, 32, who was 20 when she went missing in 2002. REUTERS/John Gress
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Neighbors react as Amanda Berry arrives at her sister’s home in Cleveland, Ohio, May 8, 2013. Berry, Gina DeJesus, Michelle Knight and Berry’s 6-year-old daughter escaped a Cleveland home where they were held captive. Berry, now 27, was found with her daughter, conceived and born during her captivity, along with DeJesus, 23, who vanished aged 14 in 2004, and Knight, 32, who was 20 when she went missing in 2002. REUTERS/John Gress
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Before Gina DeJesus made here arrival, the cameras were all set as well until a van passed with the victim inside and the police decided to allow us closer at the last minute, causing a crush of neighbors and photographers. My height came in handy again when I was able to capture DeJesus’ victorious thumbs up while shooting over another photographer.
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Nancy Ruiz, mother of Gina DeJesus, hugs a police officer as her daughter arrives at her home in Cleveland, Ohio, May 8, 2013. DeJesus, Michelle Knight, Amanda Berry and Berry’s 6-year-old daughter escaped a Cleveland home where they were held captive. DeJesus, now 23, vanished aged 14 in 2004. REUTERS/John Gress
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Friends and family celebrate as Gina DeJesus arrives at her home in Cleveland, Ohio, May 8, 2013. DeJesus, Michelle Knight, Amanda Berry and Berry’s 6-year-old daughter escaped a Cleveland home where they were held captive. DeJesus, now 23, vanished aged 14 in 2004. REUTERS/John Gress
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Gina DeJesus arrives at her home in Cleveland, Ohio, May 8, 2013. DeJesus, Michelle Knight, Amanda Berry and Berry’s 6-year-old daughter escaped a Cleveland home where they were held captive. DeJesus, now 23, vanished aged 14 in 2004. REUTERS/John Gress
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Michelle Knight remains in the hospital, a waiting her reunion with her grandmother.
