The “gay for pay” actor who brutally murdered a Dallas-area adult film producer — bludgeoning him 32 times before setting his body on fire — was sentenced to nine years in prison on Friday.
Daeveion Mangum (right), 20, was convicted of first-degree murder in the slaying of 60-year-old Michael Castagne (above), who was found dead inside his studio on Nov. 17, 2015. But the jury reduced Mangum's sentence after determining that he acted out of “sudden passion.”
As we reported last week, Castagne had already paid Magnum to appear in at least three videos for his gay-themed adult website, JockTherapy.com. However, in what sounds like a form of the “gay panic” defense, Magnum's attorneys argued that he acted out of self defense after Castagne asked him to perform with another man in a “massage therapy” video — which they likened to attempted sexual assault.
The Dallas Observer reports that the jury may also have been swayed by knowledge of Castagne's 1985 conviction for sexual performance by a child and fondling of a child. Castagne, then 30, received five years of probation for asking a 16-year-old boy if he was interested in modeling and porn, and photographing his genitals.
According to the Observer, the defense argued that Castagne's conviction “showed a pattern of manipulative behavior — ‘grooming' — that would continue throughout Castagne's interactions with clients, including Mangum.”
Mangum will be eligible for parole after completing half his sentence.
