A convicted cannibal who brutally murdered a homeless man and consumed parts of his body has been granted conditional release from a high-security psychiatric hospital over a decade after the gruesome crime.
The Gruesome 2011 Attack
In 2011, Tyree Smith, who became known as the 'Connecticut Cannibal', carried out a horrifying attack on homeless man Angel Gonzalez. Smith slaughtered Gonzalez with a hatchet in the US city of Bridgeport before mutilating his body and eating parts of it in a nearby cemetery.
The day before the murder, Smith visited his cousin, Nicole Rabb, where he reportedly ranted about Greek gods and expressed a desire to get 'blood on his hands'. He returned the following day covered in blood and described in detail how he had bludgeoned his victim's face and head with an axe.
Smith chillingly told his cousin that he had consumed his victim's organs while drinking Japanese rice wine, sake. He specifically remarked that Gonzalez's eyeball 'tasted like an oyster'. The mutilated body was discovered in a vacant Bridgeport apartment in January 2012.
Insanity Defence and Conditional Release
In a controversial 2013 court ruling, Smith was found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity and was subsequently confined to the Whiting Forensic Hospital for 60 years.
However, earlier this year, the state's Psychiatric Security Review Board approved Smith's conditional release. This decision followed testimony from a psychiatrist who stated that Smith's schizophrenia and substance abuse disorders were in 'full remission' thanks to medication and ongoing treatment.
Forensic psychiatrist Caren Teitelbaum told news outlet WTNH that Smith had become a 'joy' and a 'calming presence' for other patients at the facility. She noted that he had 'maintained clinical stability' and consistently adhered to his medication and treatment programmes.
Mixed Reactions and Violent History
The release has sparked anger and concern among the victim's family. Talitha Frazier, Gonzalez's sister-in-law, believes Smith remains a 'menace to society'.
She expressed her shock at the release, pointing to prison documents that revealed several violent altercations Smith had with other inmates while incarcerated. After one alleged fight at the Garner Correctional Facility, Smith had to be separated from the general population after claiming another inmate had 'talked trash to him'.
Despite this history of violence, Smith did express remorse during his court appearance days before his insanity verdict. He stated, 'I'm really sorry for what I did, that I couldn't be myself. It really had nothing to do with the other person.'
Frazier acknowledged his apology, telling the Connecticut Post that his words had caught her off-guard and that she felt he meant what he said. Smith has now been placed in a community setting under strict supervision with conditions that mandate he continues his treatment.
