RENATO SEABRA

Meet Renato Seabra, model described as 'person of interest' in castration, murder of Carlos Castro

Renato Seabra is a person of interest in the bloody murder of Carlos Castro. Related NewsSlain journalist told pal his lover was scaring himMan found in blood-splattered Times Square hotel room, cops find suspect

Renato Seabra, with his sparkling smile and chiseled good looks, was a basketball star, a fashion model and a reality show celebrity in his native Portugal.

Now the hunky 20-year-old is a person of interest in a gruesome Times Square homicide.

Seabra has packed a lot of living into his two decades, emerging from the small town of Cantanhede to earn national attention in his European homeland.

Seabra left his hometown, with its 12,000 residents, to attend college at the University of Coimbra - where his squad became national basketball champions, the Portuguese equivalent of Duke University's team.

From there, the young man launched his modeling career.

Seabra quickly gained attention as a contestant on a top model reality show, "A Procura do Sonho" - or "Searching for a Dream." A Facebook fan club drew more than 2,000 Seabra supporters.

Carlos Castro (left) and Renato Seabra reportedly had a May-December romance.

His dream didn't come completely true: While Seabra was one of three finalists, he failed to capture the top prize. But he did receive a modeling contract, from designer Fatima Lopes, the show's developer and one of its judges.

"He had his five minutes of fame, but he was nothing in Portugal," said socialite Vicky Fernandes, a friend of victim Carlos Castro's. "Everybody thought he was calm, a normal person."

In recent months, Seabra had begun a May-December relationship with Castro, 65, a well-known Portuguese journalist.

"This kid was probably looking for fame and money," said Luis Pires, editor of the Portuguese newspaper Luso Americano and a friend of Castro's. "He took a chance to be very close to a man who could promote him. It was a risky relationship."

In an interview with a Portuguese newspaper near his hometown, Seabra described himself as religious and shy. He's also an admitted mama's boy, confessing his mother was responsible for his modeling career.

"My mom told me to keep trying, because I wasn't taking modeling seriously," Seabra said. "I'm shy in front of the camera, especially when everyone's watching me."

After reaching the reality show finals, Seabra said, he wasn't thanking his mother.

"That same night, I prayed to God, saying thank you," he said. "And the next morning, I woke up to pray again."

BY Erica Pearson and Larry Mcshane
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS

Originally Published:Saturday, January 8th 2011, 1:21 PM
Updated: Saturday, January 8th 2011, 1:21 PM

With Marcus Santos and Ben Chapman

epearson@nydailynews.com

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2011/01/08/2011-01-08_meet_renato_seabra_model_described_as_person_of_interest_in_castration_murder_of.html

THE MURDER OF CARLOS CASTRO

Carlos Castro, Portuguese journalist and male model Renato Seabra fought over money: cops

Cops suspect Renato Seabra (r.) in the gruesome killing and mutilation of Portuguese journalist and gay rights activist Carlos Castro at the Intercontinental Hotel.

Gabel for News

Cops investigate the crime at the Intercontinental Hotel in Times Square

A well-known journalist from Portugal was brutally beaten and mutilated inside a room of a posh Times Square hotel during a fight with his younger companion over money, police sources said.

The naked body of Carlos de Castro, 65, was found face-up in a pool of blood inside his 34th-floor room at the InterContinental New York Times Square on W. 44th St. about 7 p.m. Friday, the sources said.

The prominent gay activist and society columnist had been bludgeoned in the head and his scrotum cut off, sources said.

His suspected killer - Renato Seabra, a Portuguese male model who was staying with Castro at the InterContinental - was found four hours later at Roosevelt Hospital in Midtown, the sources said.

Investigators believe Seabra, a former Portuguese reality show contestant, attacked his older lover after Castro accused him of stealing cash, the sources said.

After the savage slaying, Seabra took a cab to the hospital for treatment for scrapes and cuts on his hands and face.

The cab driver who dropped off a nervous Seabra later saw a newscast and recognized Seabra's photo - and immediately called 911.

"I think I just dropped your guy off at the hospital," said the driver, who recalled Seabra as "frantic," according to NYPD sources said.

Moments later, a nurse from Roosevelt walked home from the end of her shift and, also seeing Seabra's photo on the news, called police and said the suspect was in the hospital's waiting room.

Seabra was arrested just after midnight and taken to Bellevue Hospital, where he was undergoing a psychiatric evaluation Saturday afternoon, the NYPD sources said.

Castro's body was found shortly after Monica Pires, a friend of the writer and producer, grew concerned after she went to the swanky hotel at 6 p.m. Friday and could not reach him, sources said.

"We asked the front desk to call up to Carlos but he didn't respond," Pires told the Portuguese news agency Lusa. "So we tried his cell phone and nobody answered."

Just then, Pires and her mom Wanda saw the tall, chiseled Seabra walk through the lobby - and stop in a panic when he saw the worried women.

"We asked him about Carlos, and he looked panicked," a shaken Pires said.

"He never expected to see us in the lobby and he told us, 'Carlos isn't leaving the room,'" she said. "This answer surprised us and we told the hotel manager."

Pires screamed, which prompted the hotel staff to check room 3416, where they made the gruesome discovery. They quickly called 911.

Detectives said the couple dated for several months and that Castro paid for his younger companion to join him in New York for New Year's Eve.

The couple checked into the hotel on Dec. 29, toured the city, took in several shows, and frequently dined with Wanda Pires - and the woman's family said the couple seemed fine until a tense dinner Thursday night.

Investigators believe the fighting intensified Friday, and a couple staying in a room two doors down heard the two men arguing hours before the murder.

"There was a lot of noise, talking," said Suzanne Divilly, 40, who was celebrating her honeymoon in the city.

"You could hear them arguing in the corridor and even in our room," she said. "We didn't think anything of it, because it was none of our business."

Detectives think Seabra grabbed a laptop and bashed Castro over the head with it, police sources said.

As the journalist lay bleeding on the floor of the disheveled room, the model used a broken wine glass to castrate his lover.

Detectives think Seabra's wounds - including cuts to his wrists - were suffered during the struggle and were not a suicide attempt, sources said.

"We're all in shock more than anything else," said Luis Nascimento, the husband of Monica Pires. "He was a very nice man and very well-known Portugal for his work."

Castro, aside from his gay rights advocacy, has worked for several television and radio stations in Portugal during his career, according to a biography page on his website. The site also notes his work for several national modeling competitions.

By Rocco Parascandola, Erica Pearson and Jonathan Lemire

DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS

Originally Published:Friday, January 7th 2011, 10:00 PM
Updated: Saturday, January 8th 2011, 2:20 PM

WITH BEN CHAPMAN, JOE KEMP and MARCUS SANTOS

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2011/01/07/2011-01-07_times_square_murder_man_found_dead_in_bloodsplattered_room_at_intercontinental_h.html

RENATO SEABRA: PERSON OF INTEREST

Person Of Interest Sought In Midtown Hotel Death

January 7, 2011 11:45 PM

Authorities said police responded to a 911 call of an unconscious male at the InterContinental New York hotel on Jan. 7, 2011. (Photo: CBS 2)

Reporting Hazel Sanchez

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/ AP) — Police have identified a person of interest wanted for questioning in the death of a 65-year-old man found in a Midtown Manhattan hotel room.

Authorities said police responded to a 911 call of an unconscious male at the InterContinental New York hotel. When police arrived at the scene, they found the man around 7 p.m. in Room 3416, unresponsive with trauma to the head.

Person of Intrest Renato Seabra (Photo/DCPI)

EMS also responded and pronounced the victim dead on arrival. The Medical Examiner will determine the exact cause of death.

CBS 2′s Hazel Sanchez reported the victim had been staying at the hotel since Dec. 29, the day the 36-story building officially opened.

The chilling discovery has left guests of the hotel frightened.

“I’m not comfortable staying here — definitely not comfortable staying here,” one woman told reporters.

Meanwhile, police identified a man in his 20s — Renato Seabra — as someone they want to speak to in connection with the victim’s death.

Authorities described Seabra as a Hispanic man, who was last seen wearing a black suit with a purple tie.

The death is the second recent slaying in a fancy hotel room.

Swimsuit designer Sylvie Cachay, 33, was found strangled and drowned in a bathtub at the trendy Soho House hotel. Her boyfriend Nicholas Brooks has pleaded not guilty in her death.

Brooks, the 24-year-old son of “You Light Up My Life” writer and Oscar winner Joseph Brooks, has been held without bail since his arrest.

Anyone with information in regards to his whereabouts is asked to call the New York City Police Department’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS.

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/01/07/person-of-interest-sought-in-upscale-midtown-hotel-death/

CARLOS CASTRO MORTO E CASTRADO EM NOVA IORQUE

Carlos Castro

O cenário com que a polícia nova-iorquina se deparou ao entrar no quarto de hotel onde Carlos Castro foi encontrado morto, na noite de sexta-feira, era de violência extrema. O cronista de 65 anos estava nu, com os testículos mutilados e tinha vários ferimentos na cabeça, sendo declarado morto no local pelos serviços de emergência.

Segundo a autópsia, cujos resultados foram divulgados ontem à noite, a morte foi causada por "impactos bruscos na cabeça e compressão do pescoço" de Carlos Castro. As circunstâncias que envolveram o homicídio do jornalista e colunista do CM num quarto do hotel InterContinental, em Nova Iorque, ainda estão por clarificar, apesar de o suspeito ter sido detido pelas autoridades.

Renato Seabra, de 21 anos, ex-concorrente do programa televisivo ‘À Procura de um Sonho', que partilhava o quarto com o cronista, segundo Guilherme de Melo, amigo de Castro, estavam a "passar uma lua-de-mel", esteve a ser observado no hospital de Bellevue, em Nova Iorque, e as autoridades aguardavam pelo fim dos exames médicos num hospital psiquiátrico para dar início ao interrogatório.

Carlos Castro foi encontrado morto e castrado às 19h07 locais, duas da manhã de sábado em Portugal, pelas autoridades, que responderam ao alerta que dava conta de um homem inconsciente com ferimentos na cabeça. Segundo o diário ‘The New York Post', recolheram como prova um computador portátil manchado de sangue que pode ter servido de arma para o homicídio.

Renato Seabra pode enfrentar prisão perpétua, pena máxima no estado de Nova Iorque em homicídio.

Ontem permaneceram viaturas da polícia de Nova Iorque à porta do hotel, cujos hóspedes contaram a jornais norte-americanos terem ouvido discussões no quarto e no corredor durante a sexta-feira.

Carlos Castro e Renato Seabra chegaram ao Intercontinental a 29 de Dezembro e deveriam ter regressado hoje a Portugal.

Luxo no coração de Manhattan

O Hotel InterContinental Times Square, local da macabra morte de Carlos Castro, abriu portas há menos de seis meses e os seus 607 quartos têm preços entre 237 e 492 dólares (183 a 380 euros) por noite.

Apesar de não ficar na Times Square, centro de Manhattan, que há dias recebeu perto de um milhão de pessoas para celebrar a chegada do Ano Novo, o hotel de luxo encontra-se na esquina da rua 44 com a 8ª Avenida, no Theatre District, onde os principais musicais da Broadway ficam à distância de uma caminhada.

Alerta foi dado por uma amiga do cronista

O alerta foi dado por Mónica Pires, amiga de Carlos Castro, que o esperava na recepção do hotel para jantarem, após Renato Seabra ter descido ao lóbi' dizendo: "O Carlos já não sai mais do hotel."

Segundo o jornalista Luís Pires, pai de Mónica, Renato saiu do hotel e tentou suicidar-se, cortando os pulsos, sendo encontrado pela polícia num hospital. Um voo da Continental terá sido atrasado por suspeitas de fuga de Seabra.

SAIBA MAIS NA EDIÇÃO EM PAPEL DO CORREIO DA MANHÃ:

- Homicida arrisca perpétua numa prisão americana

- Relação aprovada pela mãe de Renato

- Corpo já não volta para Portugal

- Últimas entrevistas no ‘CM'

- "Até o alertámos para ter cuidado"

- Consulado à espera da família do homicida

- "Aproximou-se do Carlos para ganhar protagonismo

09-01-2011

http://www.vidas.xl.pt/noticia.aspx?channelId=83c1118f-0a09-426d-88d0-7a0980df951a&contentId=36715d61-da32-498e-a383-cd95f87d3afd

O ASSASSÍNIO DE CARLOS CASTRO

Modelo Renato Seabra é principal suspeito do homicídio de jornalista e cronista do CM

Carlos Castro morto e castrado em hotel de Nova Iorque

O jornalista e cronista do CM Carlos Castro, de 65 anos, foi encontrado morto no quarto 3416 do hotel Intercontinental, em Nova Iorque, revelou o 'New York Daily News' na sua página de Internet. Segundo fontes policiais, o português foi morto e castrado, provavelmente com estilhaços de um copo de vinho.

Carlos Castro deu entrada no hotel a 29 de Dezembro, acompanhado pelo modelo português Renato Seabra, de 21 anos, que é neste momento o principal suspeito do homicídio cometido no 34º andar do hotel, situado perto de Times Square, mesmo no centro de Nova Iorque.

Renato Seabra terá saído do hotel momentos antes do corpo ter sido encontrado, tendo sido detido horas depois pelas autoridades num local próximo do crime.

De acordo com as declarações do jornalista Luís Pires à SIC Notícias, Renato Seabra terá resistido à detenção, tendo sido ferido pela polícia durante o processo. O suspeito encontra-se num hospital, sob custódia policial.

"A minha filha ia jantar com o Carlos Castro e com um companheiro dele, o Renato, um jovem de 21 anos que estava com ele. Foi confrontada com o Renato à saída do elevador. O jovem apresentava um ar estranho, ainda que calmo. O Renato apresentava-se com algumas manchas, que agora se sabem ser de sangue, na roupa, e disse à minha filha que 'o Carlos já não sai hoje do hotel'", relatou Luís Pires ao canal televisivo, acrescentando que o jovem terá depois abandonado o hotel.

A filha do jornalista ter-se-á então mostrado preocupada e pediu a um funcionário para abrir o quarto em que Carlos Castro estava instalado, tendo-o encontrado "numa poça de sangue". "Um quadro dantesco, Carlos tinha graves lesões na cabeça e foi castrado. Fico horrorizado só de pensar nisso", contou Luís Pires.

A polícia foi então chamada ao local, por volta das 19h00 (00h00 em Lisboa), tendo encontrado Carlos Castro inconsciente e com sinais de ter sido agredido na cabeça e sexualmente mutilado.

Segundo a estação de televisão nova-iorquina NY1, Carlos Castro foi declarado morto no local pelos paramédicos.

Segundo o 'New York Post', suspeita-se que as feridas na cabeça de Carlos Castro foram causadas por um computador portátil encontrado no quarto coberto de sangue.

Relatos de hóspedes irlandeses do hotel indicam que Carlos Castro e Renato Seabra discutiram violentamente na tarde de sexta-feira.

De acordo com o relato de Luís Pires, "Renato pôs-se em fuga, andou a vaguear pela cidade", mas acabou por ser detido poucas horas depois num hospital, próximo do local onde ocorreu o crime, "tendo dado entrada de emergência com os pulsos cortados, numa tentativa de suicídio".

"PESSOA EXTREMAMENTE SIMPÁTICA, DE GRANDE DELICADEZA": MARIA BARROSO

Maria Barroso lembra uma pessoa que "tinha a preocupação que as mulheres fossem também lembradas e não fossem apenas ressaltados os papéis dos homens e isso foi muito interessante. Foi o que me fez aderir ao convite" para prefaciar o livro, a antiga Primeira Dama, referindo-se à obra 'As mulheres que marcaram a minha vida'.

"Ele foi sempre uma pessoa extremamente simpática comigo, de uma grande delicadeza e agora quando escreveu o último livro pediu-me para prefaciar o livro e para o apresentar e foi isso que fui fazer", acrescentou.

"ERA UMA PESSOA MUITO GENEROSA, POLÉMICA E FRONTAL": MARGARIDA MARTINS

"Ele apoiava-me sempre, apesar de às vezes se zangar connosco, mas era tudo da boca para fora, não era do coração. Era uma pessoa muito generosa e muito preocupada", reforçou Margarida Martins.

"Sempre falou abertamente de tudo, sempre esteve ao lado das pessoas. Era uma pessoa polémica, muito frontal e isso é muito importante neste país", disse a presidente da associação de apoio a pessoas com VIH/Sida.

http://www.cmjornal.xl.pt/detalhe/noticias/lazer/tv--media/carlos-castro-morto-e-castrado-em-hotel-de-nova-iorque