Alleged NYC castration killer Renato Seabra may claim insanity

(CBS/WCBS/AP) Renato Seabra, a male model accused of killing his companion, a celebrity television journalist who was found castrated and bludgeoned to death in a New York City hotel, may be considering a psychiatric defense, his lawyer said Friday.

PICTURES: Male Model Arrested for Murder

The Portuguese model's attorney David Touger said Friday he was waiting for hospital records before deciding whether to make Renato Seabra's mental state an issue in the murder case.

Police say the 21-year-old has confessed to killing well-known Portuguese journalist Carlos Castro on Jan. 7 at their hotel room in Manhattan.

According to CBS affiliate WCBS, police say Seabra brutally attacked his companion for at least an hour.

Prosecutors say Seabra admitted to castrating Castro with a corkscrew, bludgeoning him with a computer monitor and stabbing him in the face.

Touger also filed papers seeking to keep prosecutors from using the statements police say Seabra made to them about the murder. Prosecutors and a judge didn't immediately respond to the request.

Seabra remains in custody in a psychiatric hospital jail ward.