Mystery Around Death Of Ariel Castro

Cleveland kidnapper Ariel Castro was found dead hanging in his jail cell. Now, a wave of mystery surrounds his death. INSIDE EDITION has the story.

Mystery surrounds the death of the monster who kept three girls prisoner but couldn't take it in prison himself. Ariel Castro hanged himself with a bed sheet rather than face a lifetime in captivity.

The Cleveland prosecutor who put him behind bars, Timothy McGinty, called Castro "A degenerate" Wednesday and said, "This man couldn't take, for even a month, a small portion of what he had dished out for more than a decade. Let this be a message to other child kidnappers... You won't enjoy the captive side of the bars."

Questions are now swirling as to how Castro died. Craig Weintraub was Castro's attorney. He said, "If this was a suicide we want to understand how this happened under their watch in such a short period of time. This is highly unusual."

52-year-old Castro was in protective custody in a cell. Every move should have been visible and guards checked on him every 30 minutes.

His cousin Maria Montes said in a phone interview she doesn't believe he hanged himself. She said, “Did he really do this to himself or could someone have possibly gotten to him?”

Castro had seemed defiant when he appeared in court last month for sentencing.

He heard victim Michelle Knight bravely face him down after more than a decade in captivity.

She said, “I spent 11 years in hell. Your hell is just beginning.”

He showed no remorse.

He said, “You make me out to be a monster. I am not a monster.  I'm just sick.”

Castro had spoken about suicide in a hand-written note found by police when they searched his home earlier this year. That house of horrors where he imprisoned and tortured Amanda Barry, Gina DeJesus and Knight was torn down last month.

Now, Castro himself is gone too, but it may help bring final closure for his innocent victims.