Carlos Castro (journalist)
Portuguese TV personality killed in New York City hotel.
Carlos António Castro was a Portuguese television personality and journalist who covered gossip about musicians, actors, and celebrities for over 35 years. He gained widespread recognition after coming out on television and appearing on the program Big Show SIC in the 1990s. In 2011, he was found castrated and bludgeoned to death in a New York City hotel, and his boyfriend was charged with the murder.
Quick Facts
- Years active
- 1970–2011
- Birth name
- Carlos António Castro
- Born
- 5 October 1945
- Birthplace
- Moçâmedes, Portuguese Angola
- Died
- 7 January 2011
- Place of death
- New York City, US
- Occupation
- Journalist
Facts from the source article.
Personal life
Castro was born in Moçâmedes, Angola, then a Portuguese colony, and developed a strong interest in poetry as a child. He moved to Luanda at age 15 to become a reporter. In Portugal, he became a high-profile public figure as a TV personality, covering gossip about musicians, actors, and celebrities. He gained further popularity after publicly coming out as homosexual and revealing the feminine side of his personality. At the time of his death, he was dating 21-year-old male model Renato Seabra, a former contestant on the reality show À Procura do Sonho.
Murder
Castro and Seabra traveled to the United States to see Broadway shows and spend New Year's Eve in Times Square. A friend who accompanied them, newspaper editor Luis Pires, later said there had been some friction between the two toward the end of the trip but nothing suggesting something horrible was about to happen. On the Friday night they were meant to meet Pires's ex-wife and daughter in the InterContinental hotel lobby, they did not appear. Seabra instead allegedly said, "Carlos will never leave the hotel again." The ex-wife and daughter notified hotel staff and security, who found Castro's body in the room around 7:00 p.m. He had been beaten with a laptop; a broken wine bottle was initially believed to be the castration weapon, but the corkscrew was later identified as the implement, which had also been used to gouge out one of his eyes. The medical examiner ruled death was caused by blunt impact injuries on the head and neck compression, and noted marks of strangulation. Seabra had left the scene and admitted himself to St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center after trying to slit his wrists. A taxi driver called police after seeing Seabra's picture in a police bulletin. Taken into custody, Seabra received a psychiatric evaluation at Bellevue Hospital Center. After interrogation, he admitted to the murder, saying he killed Castro to "get rid of [his] 'homosexual demons'." Detectives believed Seabra killed Castro after Castro refused to take him on an expensive shopping trip. Seabra was charged with second-degree murder. His mother, Odília Pereirinha, a nurse from Cantanhede, arrived in New York after his confession and planned to accompany him through the trial.
Depois da Vida show
Castro was posthumously featured on the Portuguese television program Depois da Vida, a paranormal show in which a British female medium, Anne Germain, claims to converse with the dead. The episode, filmed in October 2010, aired on 21 January 2011 and allegedly showed Castro being visited by an old drag queen friend, José Centúrio de Almeida (stage name Ruth Bryden), among others. The broadcast had been delayed due to complaints but was aired anyway, after which four further complaints were sent to the Entidade Reguladora para a Comunicação Social's legal department.
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where was Carlos Castro (journalist) born?
Carlos Castro was born on 5 October 1945 in Moçâmedes, Portuguese Angola.
When was Carlos Castro (journalist) active?
Carlos Castro was active from 1970 to 2011.
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