In Cleveland, 30 Minutes Of Bravery Ended 10-Year Nightmare

By Mark Memmott / NPR

Published May 11, 2013 at 5:46 AM PDT

This story was published more than 11 years ago.

It took neighbors' help for Amanda Berry to escape through the bolted storm door of the Cleveland home where authorities say she and two other women were held captive for nearly a decade. After she emerged, the women and Berry's daughter were rescued.

Until today, there's been a rush of news related to the kidnapping of three young women in Cleveland, their rescue after a decade in captivity and the chilling details that have emerged about what they went through. Now, the news has slowed. We suspect there will be less to report in coming days, but we'll watch for important developments.

There is a story to recommend, though:

"The rescue of Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight: 30 minutes that ended a decade of nightmares," by The Plain Dealer.

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It's one of the most complete accounts we've seen of the opportunity that kidnap victim Amanda Berry seized, the way neighbors came to her aid and the dramatic minutes that followed as police arrived and discovered that two other long-missing women -- Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight -- were inside suspect Ariel Castro's home. Also there: Berry's 6-year-old daughter, a child fathered by Castro. He now stands accused of kidnapping and rape and could face thousands of other charges.

As the Plain Dealer says:

"In these tense and emotional minutes of Monday, May 6 is the story of how bravery and swift action ended a decade-long nightmare. The heroes are the neighbors, the police officers and the women. Berry especially. [That night], after 10 years, two weeks and one day of cruel incarceration inside Ariel Castro's Seymour Avenue home, she summons her courage."