A Connecticut man who was found not guilty by reason of insanity of killing a victim with a hatchet and eating body parts has been granted conditional release from the state's only maximum-security psychiatric hospital, despite concerns expressed by the victim's family and state lawmakers.
Tyree Smith was ordered confined to Whiting Forensic Hospital for 60 years in 2013 in connection with the killing of Angel Gonzalez, whose mutilated body was found in a vacant apartment in Bridgeport in January 2012 a month after he was hacked to death. Smith's cousin had testified that Smith told her he ate part of Gonzalez's brain and an eyeball while drinking sake.
The state's Psychiatric Security Review Board granted Smith conditional release from the hospital on Friday after hearing from a psychiatrist, who said Smith's schizophrenia and alcohol and drug disorders were in full remission as a result of medication and other treatment.
A conditional release means Smith will be placed in a community setting, but under supervision with strict conditions including continuing treatment. Smith already has been staying full-time at a community facility with around-the-clock supervision for the past nine months, with Friday's decision formally discharging him from the hospital, officials said.
During a hearing before the board ruled, Gonzalez's sister-in-law, Talitha Frazier, said she was concerned Smith was now hiding his mental illness.
“How do we really know he’s not going to do this again?” she asked.
State Sens. Heather Somers, Paul Cicarella, Henri Martin and Stephen Harding called the decision “outrageous” and “mind-boggling” in a statement Friday afternoon.
“This terrible decision puts public safety in jeopardy and is yet another terrible message to send to CT violent crime victims and their families. This person should never be out,” the Republican lawmakers said.
Smith attended the hearing virtually with his lawyer, but was not shown on video screens because of safety concerns stemming from media coverage, his lawyer said.
