Police: Gay Journalist Brutally Murdered by Younger Lover

The mutilated body of a well-known gay journalist from Portugal was
found in a Times Square hotel room Friday night. His younger lover is suspected of killing him during a fight about money.

According to police sources, 65-year-old Carlos de Castro was found at the InterContinental hotel face up in a pool of his own blood. He had been badly beaten and his scrotum had been cut off.

A prominent gay activist, Castro was staying with male model Renato Seabra, who was found four hours after hotel staff discovered the body, seeking treatment for minor cuts and bruises at Roosevelt Hospital in Midtown Manhattan.

According to the New York Daily News, police believe Seabra attacked Castro after being confronted about stealing cash. A cab driver who dropped Seabra off at the hospital later called 911 after seeing a newscast and recognizing the former reality show contestant’s photo.

A friend of Castro's, Wanda Pires, arrived at the hotel with her daughter Monica to meet with Castro at 6 p.m. When he didn’t respond to her calls, she says she asked the front desk to call up to Castro’s room. Shortly after, she and Monica saw Seabra in the lobby.

"We asked him about Carlos, and he looked panicked," Monica Pires told the Daily News. "He never expected to see us in the lobby and he told us, 'Carlos isn't leaving the room.' This answer surprised us and we told the hotel manager."

Hotel staff went up to the room and discovered the body.

Wanda Pires told the New York Post Castro and Seabra were obviously furious with each other at a dinner the night before.

Police believe Seabra bashed Castro over the head with a laptop and then cut off his scrotum with a broken wineglass.

Castro had reportedly paid for Seabra to join him in New York on vacation for New Year’s Eve. The respected journalist is known in Portugal for his work on several television and radio stations as well as his advocacy efforts.