New York: Corkscrew used to castrate gay TV journalist shown to jurors
The instrument allegedly used to castrate a murdered gay TV fashion journalist has been shown to a jury in New York.
The attack took place at New York’s InterContinental Hotel on 7 January 2011.
According to the New York Post, detectives spent 13 hours combing the murder scene for evidence and came across the corkscrew on a white hotel slipper next to a message written in Portuguese.
It said: “Behind… but good person – few times”.
Hotel security video indicates Seabra had spent some five hours in the room, amid the bloodstains and broken glass and furnishings, with Mr Castro’s uncovered, naked corpse on the floor the whole time.
On Friday, NYPD Detective Ricardo Yanis showed the jury the corkscrew used to mutilate the victim and a blood-stained wine glass that was also found in the hotel room.
Lawyers for Seabra claim at the time he was legally insane and believed he was acting on a mission from God to rid the world of homosexuality and also had the power to cure people of AIDS.
However, the prosecution argues it was cold-blooded murder, sparked by Mr Castro’s desire to end the relationship.
The trial continues this week.
