New York.USA

Seabra sentenced to 25 years-to life for grisly murder of celebrity journalist

Staff Reports

A judge in Manhattan has sentenced Renato Seabra, a former Portuguese underwear model, to 25 years to life in prison for the the grisly murder of celebrity journalist Carlos Castro in a New York hotel last year.

Seabra, 23, killed Castro, 65, in January 2011 just after the victim had ended their relationship.

Carlos Castro (left) and Renato Seabra

He pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to a charge of second degree murder, but in November, a jury rejected the insanity defense, which would have most likely resulted in Seabra being sent to a mental institution.

Seabra, then 20-years-old, had bludgeoned Castro with a computer monitor and wine bottle, and used a corkscrew to sever Castro’s testicles. Following the prolonged attack, Seabra showered, took about $1,600 from Castro’s wallet, and hung a “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door, prosecutors said.

At trial, Maxine Rosenthal, an assistant district attorney, described Seabra as “deceptive, manipulative, dangerous,” and said the prospect that Seabra would lose access to the older man’s wealth and fashion connections had fueled the brutal attack.

“This was a brutal and sadistic crime, where Renato Seabra bludgeoned, choked, and mutilated his victim before murdering him,” Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr. said in a statement following last month’s jury verdict.

Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Daniel FitzGerald, in handling down the maximum allowed sentence on Friday, called the murder “extreme brutality, sadism and dehumanizing.”

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.

Seabra is a native of Cantanhede, Portgual.

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