Michelle Knight, 32, one of three women kidnapped by Ariel Castro has made a statement at his sentencing hearing Thursday.
Addressing the court, she said that while her "hell" was now over, Ariel Castro's "was only just beginning".
Through tears, Knight recalled the 11 years ordeal, "Days never got shorter, days turned into nights, nights turned into days. Years turned into eternity."
Castro tortured them by telling them their families had forgotten them, said Knight, who said she missed her son everyday, and feared she would never see him again.
"He was only 2 and half years old when I was taken. I see my son and cry every night. I was so alone. I worry about what happened to me and the other girls every day," she said.
Knight spoke of the bond between her and the other two women, Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus, who were held captive with her.
"Gina was my teammate, she never let me fall, I never let her fall." Knight said, "My friendship with her is the only thing that was good out of these situation. We said we would some day make it out live and we did."
Knight continued. “You took 11 years of my life away and I’ve got it back. I spent 11 years in hell and now your hell is just beginning. I will overcome all this has happened, but you will face hell for eternity. From this moment on, I will not let you define me or affect who I am. I will live on, you will die a little everyday."
Knight called Castro a hypocrite who went to church on Sundays and then went “home to torture us.”
"Death penalty will be so much easier. You don't deserve that. You deserve spend life in prison."
"I can forgive you, but I will never forget. With the guidance of God, I will prevail and help others that suffer at the hands of others." Knight said.
"I know that there is more good than evil. I know that there is a lot of people going through hard times. But we need to reach out a hand and hold them and let them know that they are being heard."
"After 11 years, I am finally being heard and is liberating. Thank you all, I love you, God bless you." she concluded.
Knight was the only woman to appear and make a statement at the hearing. Berry and DeJesus did not appear but had statements read in court for them.
As one woman finished her statement she turned to Castro and said in Spanish, "May God have mercy on your soul."
Cleveland police officer Barbara Johnson also take the stand Thursday to give testimony as one of the first responders to rescue the women held captive for more than a decade.
Johnson, who has been an officer for 17 years, described the three women as very pale, very thin and very scared.
Johnson says Knight was so tiny, she didn't realize Knight was a grown woman. She recalled, 'Michelle Knight literally launched herself at another officer and kept repeating, 'You saved us, you saved us.' At that point I said 'It's okay honey, you're safe.'
Knight is the first of the three women to be kidnapped, she was in a store asking for directions when she was approached by Castro who offered to give her a ride, said Detective Andy Harasimchuk.
Knight told detectives she accepted the ride because she knew Castro's daughter.
