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Lawyer Says Castrating Model Wore Lover's "Demon" Testicles On Wrists To "Harness The Power"
By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published Oct 6, 2012
Modified Oct 6, 2012
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By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published Oct 6, 2012
Modified Oct 6, 2012
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The murder trial for Renato Seabra, the young model accused of castrating and killing his lover in 2011 began on Thursday, and the details coming out of it are quite gruesome. Prosecutors told the jury that Portuguese underwear model Seabra, 22, cut off 65-year-old fashion writer Carlos Castro's testicles using a corkscrew while Castro was still alive; in addition, he also allegedly choked him, bashed him over the head with a computer, and stomped on his skull in their Times Square hotel room, leaving sneaker prints.
Lead prosecutor Maxine Rosenthal alleged that Seabra murdered Castro because the wealthy older man had threatened to no longer act as his sugar daddy, especially since Seabra had begun to tell him about his interest in younger women. But Seabra's defense attorney, Rubin Sinins, says Seabra was suffering from a psychotic episode, and was too insane at the time to be held responsible for his actions. And some of the evidence mentioned in court yesterday was pretty insane, indeed.
According to Sinins' opening statement, Seabra "believed Mr. Castro's testicles were demons, and that by pulling them out, everything would be right with the world," and after digging Castro's testicles out with a corkscrew, he slit his own wrists, "took the testicles and put one on each wrist," in order to "harness the power." But Rosenthal told the jury not to be swayed by the insanity defense, pointing out Seabra had no prior history of mental illness. "He knew that he was beating and choking and mutilating Carlos Castro," she said. "And he knew that it was wrong." The jury will begin to hear testimony later this week, so expect more evidentiary madness in the days to come.
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castration
renato seabra
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Rebecca Fishbein
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