From bare bums and pigeon people to Spiderman cosplayers, Google Maps is the gift that keeps on giving: a gold mine practically overflowing with unexpected discoveries, quirky characters, and hilarious easter eggs.
But sometimes, it’s just straight-up creepy.
That’s the case with this seemingly normal house in Cleveland Ohio, which you can’t actually see on Google Maps for reasons sure to keep you up at night.
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At first glance (not that you can see it), 2207 Seymour Avenue is an ordinary house in an ordinary American suburb: two storeys with four bedrooms, a decent-sized basement, two porches, an attic, and an attached garage, flanked by homes that look more or less the same.
Dig a little deeper, though, and the reasons for the mysterious blurring become clear.
The property was actually once home to Ariel Castro, who kept three women – Amanda Knight, Gina DeJesus, and Michelle Knight – in captivity against their will.
All three were kidnapped between 2002 and 2004, after Castro, under the pretence of offering them a ride, lured each one to his basement and restrained them.
Castro’s first victim, Michelle, was just 21 years old when she disappeared in August 2002, and was just one day away from a custody hearing concerning her son, Joey.
His second captive was Amanda, who was only 16 – a day away from her 17th birthday – when Castro abducted her in April 2003, while she was walking to her job at Burger King.
Gina, Castro’s final victim, only 14 years old at the time, was walking to school when she was abducted in April 2004 – and later said she only accepted a lift from Castro because she was friends with one of his teenage daughters.
The three were trapped until 2013, when Amanda Berry escaped with her six-year-old daughter, fathered by Castro. Left in the house unattended, a neighbour reportedly saw Amanda calling for help and contacted the police.
Michelle and Gina were rescued just hours later, and Castro himself was arrested, to face life imprisonment with no possibility of parole, plus 1,000 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to 937 counts of kidnapping and rape.
As part of the plea deal, the house at 2207 Seymour Avenue, where all of his horrific crimes took place, was torn down.
Investigating Castro’s house after the arrest, police officers found tape and chains which Castro used to restrain the women and confirmed that each had their own room – in which they were regularly locked – with buckets to use for the bathroom.
Only a month after his sentencing, Castro killed himself in his cell.
Topics: Crime, Google Maps, True Crime, US News
The LADbible Team