Brain-eating cannibal released from asylum after evading jail on insanity plea

30 September 2023 , 23:09

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Tyree Smith, of Florida, who grew up in Ansonia, Conn, was sentenced to an asylum for 60 years, but just 10 years later, he's being released (Image: AP)

A man who became known for killing and eating another man is being released from the asylum that treated him for the last decade.

Ten years ago, Tyree Smith became known as a 'modern-day cannibal' after he was arrested for killing and 'eating' an unhoused individual. Police found a mutilated body that was 'hacked to death', and an autopsy revealed that Smith had actually eaten parts of the brain and eyeballs. Smith was originally committed for 60 years, being hailed 'not guilty by way of insanity' during the trial.

Tyree Smith will be allowed to live in a Waterbury group home. His conditions for release say that he is not allowed to "associate with anyone involved in criminal activity."

Tyree Smith apologized for the murder at the trial, as the jury decided he was 'not guilty' by way of insanity (AP)

The board stated in its report: “Tyree Smith is an individual with a psychiatric illness requiring care, custody and treatment. Since his last hearing, Tyree Smith has continued to demonstrate clinical stability."

“Mr. Smith is medication compliant, actively engaged in all recommended forms of treatment, and has been symptom-free for many years," continued the statement.

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Before going to the maximum-security asylum he was assigned to, Smith apologized for killing Angel Gonzalez. "I'm really sorry for what I did, that I couldn't be myself," Smith told the judges. "It really had nothing to do with the other person."

Talitha Frazier holds a photograph of her brother-in-law, Angel "Tun Tun" Gonzalez, as she spoke in front of Superior Court a decade ago (AP)

A photo of Smith's victim, Gonzalez, whose body was found mutilated a month later by officers (AP)

During his time at the facility, it was reported that Smith tried to take his own life by slitting his wrists back in 2012. Since then, doctors say that the treatment went smoothly enough to allow this release.

The report on Smith’s release said: “He denied experiencing cravings but stated that if they were to arise, he would reach out to his hospital and community supports and providers.”

During the trial, Smith’s cousin Nicole Rabb said that Smith came to her house one night in a frenzy. She said he talked about "blood and Greek gods." The next day, she noticed blood splattered on his clothes. He was also carrying chopsticks and an axe.

Rabb then explained that Smith confessed to 'killing and eating' someone, "while drinking sake," and told his cousin that he'd like to kill and eat more people. It took police a month to find Gonzalez's body. They also managed to recover the bottle of sake and axe in a stream bed.

During the three-day trial in 2012, Smith's lawyer worked to convince the jury and judge that his client was insane. Yale University psychiatrist Dr. Reena Kapoor testified that Smith retained his lust for human flesh after his arrest and that he even offered to eat her.

Kapoor claimed that Smith "suffered from psychotic incidents since childhood" and "heard voices that told him to kill people." She said the "voices ordered Smith to eat the victim's brain so they would get a better understanding of human behaviour and the eyes so that they could see into the 'spirit realm.'"

"He poses a significant danger to himself and the community," psychiatric social worker Julie Jacobs testified during the 2012 trial as she urged judges to commit him. "I am concerned there is an expectation he (Smith) would do this to other people if he was allowed to be free," State's Attorney John Smriga said.

However, now psychologists say that Smith is safe and can leave the asylum, slowly rejoining society.

Yelena Mandenberg