Who are the victims? More about Amanda, Gina, and Michelle.

Who are the victims?

View full sizeMichelle Knight in a 1999 family photo prior to her disappearance in 2002.

Michelle Knight

Abducted: Aug. 23, 2002

Age when abducted: 21

Age when rescued: 32

Knight was the first of the three victims to be abducted. She was last seen at a cousin's house near West 106th Street and Lorain Avenue in Cleveland. Her disappearance did not receive much publicity. Knight's grandmother, Deborah Knight, said in an interview that, based on the recommendation of police and social workers, family members had concluded that Michelle likely left on her own because she was angry that her son was removed from her custody. A short police report on disappearance said Michelle had a mental condition and frequently was confused by her surroundings. Knight's name was removed from an FBI database on missing persons by Cleveland police 15 months after her disappearance. Michelle's mother, Barbara Knight, who now lives in Florida, said she and Michelle were close, and she never believed her daughter would disappear without a trace. Barbara Knight put up fliers throughout her West Side neighborhood while living in Cleveland, and said she continued to search on her own after moving to Florida.

View full sizeAmanda Berry, shown before her abduction.AP 

Amanda Berry

Abducted: April 21, 2003

Age when abducted: 17

Age when rescued: 27

Berry disappeared while returning to her home on West 111th Street from her job at Burger King at West 110th Street and Lorain Avenue. She called her sister and told her she had a ride. At first police considered Amanda a runaway. But then the FBI began to investigate the case as a kidnapping. In November 2003, police said someone used Amanda’s cell phone a week after she disappeared to contact Miller and claim her daughter would be fine and would return in a few days. Berry's disappearance received extensive media coverage because of the tenacious efforts of her mother, Louwana Miller. Miller frequently went to local media, held vigils, and appeared on TV shows such as "America's Most Wanted" to keep her daughter's name in the news. Miller was disheartened in 2004 when she was told by a psychic on a TV showthat her daughter was dead. Miller died in 2006.

View full sizeGina DeJesus disappeared in 2004 when she was 14.AP 

Gina DeJesus

Abducted: April 2, 2004

Age when abducted: 14

Age when rescued: 23

DeJesus was a seventh-grader in special education classes at Wilbur Wright Middle School on April 2, 2004, when she decided to walk home. Her family quickly realized something was wrong when she didn't arrive home at her usual time. She was reported missing that same day, and the FBI became involved just two days later. Gina was last seen at the corner of West 105th Street and Lorain Avenue by childhood friend Arlene Castro, who is the daughter of suspected kidnapper Ariel Castro. It was later learned that there are several connections between the DeJesus and Castro families. Gina's family often held vigils for her, with the most recent on April 2, 2013, the ninth anniversary of her disappearance.