LOS ANGELES Calif. – The story of three Cleveland women kidnapped and held captive for a decade is getting the prime-time TV treatment.
As NBC’s “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” returns for its 15th year tonight, it features a story line about kidnapped girls that echoes the Ariel Castro case in Cleveland.
Castro held Amanda Berry (above), Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight inside his home for about 10 years before Berry escaped and neighbors alerted police. Castro committed suicide in prison last month.
As the season unfolds, the crime drama will be paying tribute to its “ripped-from-the-headlines” heritage, executive producer Warren Leight says. That will be evident right from the start when the Cleveland kidnapping-inspired episode airs at 10:00 p.m.
The season premiere episode, airing at 9:00 p.m., will resolve last season’s cliffhanger: New York City police Detective Olivia Benson is being held at gunpoint by a rapist. Mariska Hargitay stars as the imperiled Benson.