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murder after jury rejects insanity plea
USINFO | 2013-07-15 09:53
A male model has been sentenced to 25 years to life in prison after he was convicted of murder in the castration killing of a Portuguese TV personality in a New York City hotel room.
Renato Seabra, a 23-year-old Portuguese native, was convicted last month of choking, bludgeoning and mutilating Carlos Castro.
Castro's bloodied body was found in January 2011 in his Manhattan hotel room.
Guilty: Renato Seabra has been convicted of murder over the killing of his gay lover Carlos Castro and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison today
The defense claimed that Seabra was mentally ill. It said he believed he was on a mission to kill what he saw as the devil of homosexuality in Castro.
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Seabra asked for forgiveness in court, saying through an interpreter that he didn't know what came over him.
Renato Seabra, 23, had argued that he was insane when he killed 65-year-old Carlos Castro in New York in January 2011, and pleaded not guilty to a charge of second degree murder.
Seabra bludgeoned Castro with a computer monitor and wine bottle, and used a corkscrew to sever his lover's testicles in a Times Square hotel room.
He then wore the testicles as a bracelet and even told doctors he had been drinking Castro's blood following the frenzied attack.
'You do not need an expert to tell you this is psychotic behavior,' David Touger, one of Seabra's lawyers, told the jury in closing arguments last month. More than 20 doctors have since diagnosed Seabra with bipolar disorder, he said.
Weapon: NYPD detectives showed jurors the corkscrew that they found covered in blood in the hotel room
But the jury found him guilty after deliberating for a day. Seabra's trial in Manhattan had lasted two months, partly because it was repeatedly delayed by the effects of Hurricane Sandy.
Neither the defendant nor his mother showed any emotion when the jury read out the verdict.
'This was a brutal and sadistic crime, where Renato Seabra bludgeoned choked, and mutilated his victim before murdering him,' district attorney Cy Vance said. 'But the jury's verdict now, finally, holds Seabra accountable.
'It is particularly tragic that Carlos Castro was not only betrayed by his spurned lover, but met a very painful and violent end far from his home.'
Touger had argued that his client was not responsible for the killing because he did not know what he was doing was wrong, believing instead he was on a God-ordained mission to slay the 'demon' of homosexuality that he saw in Castro.
Seabra was found by police at a Manhattan hospital where he had checked in under his real name after arriving by taxi.
Maxine Rosenthal, the lead prosecutor, told jurors that driving to the hospital was a ruse to feign insanity, as Seabra knew the body would soon be discovered.
She described Seabra as an opportunist who was 'playing the role of the loving boyfriend' to exploit Castro's wealth and connections. He was apparently angry that Castro had ended their relationship.
Aspiring model: 23-year-old Seabra claimed to have had a psychotic episode during the killing
Luxury: Castro and Seabra were staying at the high-end InterContinental Hotel in Manhattan
Castro, who met Seabra through Facebook, was a gay-rights activist and journalist, writing about fashion and society for Diario de Noticias, 24 Horas and Correio de Manha.
As their relationship dissolved into fierce arguments during their stay in New York, Seabra became enraged, Rosenthal told the jury.
'It is no coincidence Castro's life ended at the same time he ended his relationship with the defendant,' she said. 'The motive is as clear as if it were written in lights on a Times Square marquee.'
After killing Castro, Seabra disconnected the room phone, dismantled Castro's cellphone, and put the 'Do Not Disturb' sign on the door as he left to buy him more time, she said.
He took with him about $1,600 from Castro's wallet and their flight itinerary, fully intending to flee, she added.
'That shows presence of mind, it is deliberate action and is inconsistent with delusion,' Rosenthal said.
Renato Seabra, a 23-year-old Portuguese native, was convicted last month of choking, bludgeoning and mutilating Carlos Castro.
Castro's bloodied body was found in January 2011 in his Manhattan hotel room.
Guilty: Renato Seabra has been convicted of murder over the killing of his gay lover Carlos Castro and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison today
Pictured together: Seabra sitting next to Castro, a well-known journalist in his native Portugal
Prosecutors argued the two were a couple and Seabra was angry that Castro, a successful journalist, had ended their relationship.The defense claimed that Seabra was mentally ill. It said he believed he was on a mission to kill what he saw as the devil of homosexuality in Castro.
More...
• Two chunks of human flesh found in Michigan sewer just miles away from where cops found TEN other body parts months ago
• 'Ping pong is more dangerous than guns', declares incoming Texas lawmaker
Seabra asked for forgiveness in court, saying through an interpreter that he didn't know what came over him.
Renato Seabra, 23, had argued that he was insane when he killed 65-year-old Carlos Castro in New York in January 2011, and pleaded not guilty to a charge of second degree murder.
Seabra bludgeoned Castro with a computer monitor and wine bottle, and used a corkscrew to sever his lover's testicles in a Times Square hotel room.
He then wore the testicles as a bracelet and even told doctors he had been drinking Castro's blood following the frenzied attack.
'You do not need an expert to tell you this is psychotic behavior,' David Touger, one of Seabra's lawyers, told the jury in closing arguments last month. More than 20 doctors have since diagnosed Seabra with bipolar disorder, he said.
Weapon: NYPD detectives showed jurors the corkscrew that they found covered in blood in the hotel room
But the jury found him guilty after deliberating for a day. Seabra's trial in Manhattan had lasted two months, partly because it was repeatedly delayed by the effects of Hurricane Sandy.
Neither the defendant nor his mother showed any emotion when the jury read out the verdict.
'This was a brutal and sadistic crime, where Renato Seabra bludgeoned choked, and mutilated his victim before murdering him,' district attorney Cy Vance said. 'But the jury's verdict now, finally, holds Seabra accountable.
'It is particularly tragic that Carlos Castro was not only betrayed by his spurned lover, but met a very painful and violent end far from his home.'
Touger had argued that his client was not responsible for the killing because he did not know what he was doing was wrong, believing instead he was on a God-ordained mission to slay the 'demon' of homosexuality that he saw in Castro.
Seabra was found by police at a Manhattan hospital where he had checked in under his real name after arriving by taxi.
Maxine Rosenthal, the lead prosecutor, told jurors that driving to the hospital was a ruse to feign insanity, as Seabra knew the body would soon be discovered.
She described Seabra as an opportunist who was 'playing the role of the loving boyfriend' to exploit Castro's wealth and connections. He was apparently angry that Castro had ended their relationship.
Aspiring model: 23-year-old Seabra claimed to have had a psychotic episode during the killing
Luxury: Castro and Seabra were staying at the high-end InterContinental Hotel in Manhattan
Castro, who met Seabra through Facebook, was a gay-rights activist and journalist, writing about fashion and society for Diario de Noticias, 24 Horas and Correio de Manha.
As their relationship dissolved into fierce arguments during their stay in New York, Seabra became enraged, Rosenthal told the jury.
'It is no coincidence Castro's life ended at the same time he ended his relationship with the defendant,' she said. 'The motive is as clear as if it were written in lights on a Times Square marquee.'
After killing Castro, Seabra disconnected the room phone, dismantled Castro's cellphone, and put the 'Do Not Disturb' sign on the door as he left to buy him more time, she said.
'That shows presence of mind, it is deliberate action and is inconsistent with delusion,' Rosenthal said.
