A convicted cannibal killer, known as the Connecticut Cannibal, viciously murdered a homeless man named Angel Gonzalez in 2011 by hacking him with a hatchet and consuming parts of his brain and eyeball. The gruesome incident took place in a cemetery in the US state, where the perpetrator, Tyree Smith, confessed to his cousin about his desire to engage in violent acts related to Greek gods. Smith then arrived the following day at his cousin’s house covered in blood, narrating how he savagely attacked Gonzalez, describing the taste of his victim’s eyeball and detailing the use of an axe to bludgeon his face and head. The mutilated body of Gonzalez was later discovered in an abandoned apartment in Bridgeport in January 2012.
Following a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity, Smith was institutionalized at Whiting Forensic Hospital for 60 years in 2013. Recently, the state’s Psychiatric Security Review Board decided to grant Smith conditional release from the hospital after a psychiatrist attested to the successful remission of his schizophrenia, alcohol, and drug disorders through medication and treatment.
Smith is now residing in a supervised community setting with stringent conditions, including ongoing treatment. Dr. Caren Teitelbaum, a forensic psychiatrist, praised Smith’s positive influence on other patients, describing him as a supportive and calming presence within the facility.
Despite Smith’s apparent progress, prison records from the Connecticut Department of Correction reveal multiple altercations with fellow inmates, leading to his isolation from the general prison population after a confrontation at the Garner Correctional Facility.
Gonzalez’s sister-in-law, Talitha Frazier, remains adamant that Smith poses a continued threat to society, expressing frustration over his violent behavior despite claiming insanity. Smith, addressing the court before being declared not guilty by reason of insanity, expressed deep remorse for Gonzalez’s death, attributing his actions to a loss of self-control. Talitha, moved by Smith’s apology, acknowledged the unexpected sincerity in his words, highlighting the emotional complexity of the situation.
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