Cleveland House Of Horrors Comes Down Today

By Doreen McCallister / NPR

Published August 6, 2013 at 10:09 PM PDT

This story was published more than 11 years ago.

A general view of the exterior of the house where, three women who had disappeared as teenagers approximately 10 years ago were found alive in May in Cleveland, Ohio.

A general view of the exterior of the house, where three women who had disappeared as teenagers approximately 10 years ago, were found alive on May 6 in Cleveland, Ohio.

Ariel Castro's house on Seymour Avenue where three women were held captive and raped for a decade will be demolished this morning.

Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight were freed on May 6.

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Brian Bull of member station WCPN reports the electricity to the house was turned off after family members and friends picked up personal items on Monday.

The Plain Dealer in Cleveland reports Cuyahoga Land Bank plans to complete the demolition in one day and shred all the building materials.

A contractor is tearing down the home at no cost.

It's being demolished as part of a plea deal that spared Castro from a possible death sentence.

Castro said he was "so sorry to lose that property because of the many happy memories that he had there with Gina, Michelle and Amanda," Cuyahoga County Assistant Prosecutor Blaise Thomas told WCPN.

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Last week Castro was sentenced to life in prison plus 1,000 years.

Plans for what will replace 2207 Seymour Avenue haven't been made public.