Kidnapped and forgotten
Michelle Knight was 21 when she vanished in 2002. After 11 years, she was found in Ariel Castro's Cleveland house with Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus. The three women were allegedly tortured, raped, and mentally abused by their captor.
While residents remember Berry and DeJesus disappearing, they aren't as familiar with Knight's case. One neighbor told CNN that people thought she may have left town; her family also thought that was a possibility. Because she was an adult, authorities may have assumed that too.
Cleveland police removed Knight's name from the FBI's missing persons database just 15 months after she was last seen. The FBI has said it couldn't find her mother and was unable to confirm Michelle was still missing.
According to the police report, Knight told officers Castro got her pregnant and then abused her as a means of aborting the baby. She said he starved her for at least two weeks then he repeatedly punched her in the stomach until she miscarried.
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Post by: Filed under: 3 Missing Teens Found in Ohio • Crime & Punishment |
Boston brothers unite after losing legs
Paul and J.P. Norden each lost a leg in the Boston Marathon attack four weeks ago. The brothers, who have always been inseparable, said worse than having their limb amputated was being apart when they were taken to two different hospitals after the blast.
They now go to physical therapy together at Spalding Rehabilitation Center every day for three hours. They're learning to balance and do normal activities. They help each other adjust to their new reality, along with support from their family. CNN's Jason Carroll reports.
Angelina Jolie reveals double mastectomy
In an op-ed in the New York Times, world famous actress and activist Angelina Jolie announced her decision to remove her breasts to prevent cancer. Through a blood test, doctors found she carries the BRCA1 gene, which increases her risk of getting ovarian cancer and breast cancer.
She writes, "Once I knew that this was my reality, I decided to be proactive and to minimize the risk as much I could." After three months of private medical procedures, Jolie decided to reveal what she went through to encourage other women facing a similar dilemma. She recognizes it's not an easy decision to make.
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Post by: Filed under: Cancer • Medical News |
Russia: Diplomat a spy with wigs, compass
Russia accused U.S. diplomat Ryan Fogle of spying for the CIA. Officials said they caught him red-handed, but former CIA officer Bob Baer says it makes no sense at all. CNN's Phil Black reports from Moscow with the latest on Fogle's status.
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Post by: Filed under: Russia |
CNN anchor opens up about her cancer
CNN's Zoraida Sambolin, inspired by Angelina Jolie's announcement, talks with Anderson Cooper about her breast cancer diagnosis and plan to have a double mastectomy. The co-anchor of CNN's "Early Start" felt empowered to share her story with viewers the morning Jolie's op-ed was published in the New York Times.
Until Tuesday she wasn't sure how or if she would publicly talk about her private battle to beat cancer. Sambolin says Jolie "gave me a voice, and she gave me an opportunity that I wouldn't have had otherwise to actually begin this dialogue."
Talking with her fiancé and kids was not easy, but Sambolin was grateful for how they each responded. "I think at the end of the day, what it's going to do is bring us closer together," she says.
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Post by: Filed under: Cancer • Medical News |
Gergen: IRS scandal not a partisan issue
Editor's note: On AC360° David Gergen and Dana Bash discussed the controversy surrounding the IRS targeting conservative groups.
The Internal Revenue Service has identified two "rogue" employees in the agency's Cincinnati office as being principally responsible for "overly aggressive" handling of requests by conservative groups for tax-exempt status, a congressional source told CNN.
In a meeting on Capitol Hill, acting IRS Commissioner Steven Miller described the employees as being "off the reservation," according to the source. It was not clear precisely what the alleged behavior involved.
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Post by: Filed under: Dana Bash • David Gergen |
Soldier investigated for sexual assault
The Army announced Tuesday that a sergeant first class assigned to an assault prevention program at Fort Hood, Texas, is under investigation for sexual assault.
The soldier, who was not named in an Army statement, has been suspended from all duties.
Specifically, the soldier is under investigation for "pandering, abusive sexual contact, assault and maltreatment of subordinates," the statement said. Special agents from the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command are conducting the probe.
Support for Cleveland survivors
Editor's note: Tonight Randi Kaye reports on kidnapping survivor Michelle Knight. She was abducted in 2002 at age 21 but her name was removed from the FBI's Missing Persons Database just 15 months after she vanished. Tune in at 8 and 10 p.m. ET.
This Sunday, a citywide rally will unite the residents of Cleveland. Churches on the east and west sides want to come together to honor Michelle Knight, Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus, the three missing women found last week. Cleveland desperately needs to heal and process the raw emotions of what happened.
On Seymour Avenue where the girls were allegedly tortured for a decade, neighbors tell me they can't sleep, they cry for no reason and they feel extremely mad. It's upsetting that heinous crimes were allegedly committed only feet away from where they live. Not knowing about it makes residents increasingly angry at themselves and at suspect Ariel Castro.
Today I spoke to Lupe Collins, a friend of the DeJesus family, who said she still feels ill, and not figuratively. "My stomach is upset. I'm nervous. I feel physically sick," she said.
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