More details have surfaced about the gruesome murder of Portuguese journalist Carlos Castro in Times Square last week.

Onetime Bad Boy rapper G. Dep pleaded not guilty yesterday to killing a man in 1993. That's just "procedural," since he walked into a police station and confessed to the crime last month, "likely...while under the influence of drugs." [WSJ]

Despite a confession and DNA evidence, nude housekeeper Thomas Cordero was acquitted yesterday of the 2001 murder of John Conley, who had hired Cordero on Rentboy.com to clean his Bronx home. Cordero said he'll find a new profession. [NYDN]

After the horrific Tucson shootings last weekend, future U.S. president Sarah Palin retreated to her prayer cave and prayed for guidance. Today, she's announced her findings: The real tragedy here is "journalists and pundits" who "manufacture a blood libel."

While examining the death of a magic shop owner, Castle and Beckett revisit their childhood as well as cliched themes à la The Prestige. However, secrets of the trade aren't the only ones being revealed during the investigation. Highlights inside.

Renato Seabra, a 20 year-old male model, has confessed to attacking, castrating, and killing Portugese fashion journalist Carlos Castro (pictured) in a Times Square hotel room Saturday night. Seabra is apparently very, very disturbed.

The body of 65-year-old Portuguese journalist Carlos Castro was found yesterday in a Times Square InterContinental Hotel room "bludgeoned in the head and his scrotum cut off." Police are questioning Castro's male model companion, "twentysomething" Renato Seabra. [NYDN; image]

Biggie Smalls, the illest, was murdered in L.A. in 1997. Thirteen years! And not one arrest yet! There have been documentaries and posthumous albums and one million R.I.P. graffiti walls, but no arrests. But: the investigation's being "reinvigorated" (again).

John Wheeler, the defense contractor who served in three Republican presidential administrations and was found dead in a landfill on New Year's Eve, was acting crazy before his death — and may have tried to burn his neighbor's house down.

Early in the morning on New Year's Day, a Philippine politician took a snapshot of his family outside their home. Seconds later, he was shot and killed by a gunman, who was also captured in the picture aiming a pistol.

Tonight, Lifetime aired once of its always hilarious (in the bad way) TV movies, this time about "Craigslist Killer" Philip Markoff. Billy Baldwin was there! Oh, and the TV version of Markoff killed a girl. Watch the murder scene inside.

The man who confessed to the body-in-a-suitcase murder, Hassan Malik, told police "she hit me first."

Gareth Williams, the MI6 codebreaker who was found dead and stuffed in a locked duffle bag, was most definitely not gay, a friend says. Rather, he was practicing for an undercover assignment by hanging out in gay clubs.

Were you walking down East 114th Street in New York City Tuesday night? Did you pass a guy with a big roller suitcase? Because, uh, the police want to talk to you. Since the suitcase maybe had a body inside.

Authorities have confirmed that all four bodies found on a Long Island beach over the weekend are female, meaning that, yes, there's a good chance we're looking at the work of a serial killer.

Accused of raping starlets, movie composer Joseph Brooks appeared in court today, four days after his son appeared in the same courthouse for attempted murder. Just like in the movies, the bailiffs broke into song: "It's a family affa-a-air." [NYDN]

Nicholas Brooks, the 24-year-old son of pervy composer Joseph Brooks, has already been charged with the attempted murder of the girlfriend who was trying to dump him, Sylvie Cachay. But he may soon be charged with murder, too. [NYP]

A 31-year-old Brooklynite stabbed his mother to death and slashed his father before running to Windsor Terrace's G-train station and throwing himself into the rails, to the horror of commuters.

A "law enforcement source" tells the LA Times the gun of a man who committed suicide does appear to be the one that killed publicist Ronni Chasen. (Which is the opposite of what they said earlier.) Press conference later today.

You know it's a good story when it begins with a narcotics task force called "Operation: Ivy League." After months undercover with kids who are reading the Iliad, the NYPD busted five alleged frat boy drug dealers at Columbia University.