Ummm… a convicted cannibal just got approved for release from prison by a psychiatric review board. The decision has received tons of backlash from legislators but one person in particular warned against the man’s release: the investigator who tracked down Jeffrey Dahmer.
The Connecticut Psychiatric Security Review Board authorized the conditional release of Tyree Smith, per The Independent. He was sentenced to 60 years in the confines of Whiting Forensic Hospital. Smith was accused of hacking Bridgeport resident Angel Gonzalez to death in 2011 and mutilating her remains, per The AP’s reports. He also confessed to a family member that he ate a portion of the woman’s brain and one of her eyeballs while washing it down with sake.
A year later, a jury found Smith not guilty by reason of insanity leading to his life-term mental hospitalization, per The AP. However, last Friday (Feb. 21), the review board cut his sentence short after concluding his schizophrenia was in full remission in addition to his drug and alcohol abuse, per The Independent. According to retired Milwaukee detective Dennis Murphy, the board made a HUGE mistake.
Murphy tells TMZ Smith should stay locked away, based on his experience investigating Jeffrey Dahmer’s case. Dahmer was convicted for serial murders in the early 90s and was accused of eating the remains of his victims, per court records. Murphy told TMZ when he went to visit Dahmer in prison, the killer admitted that he would go right back to eating and killing people if he ever got out of prison. The report says Murphy assumed the same would come from Smith’s release, but also noted it would terrify the Gonzalez family.
In addition to Murphy’s comments, local politicians also voiced their concern and outrage about the state of public safety given Smith’s release.
“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,” said GOP legislators Heather Somers, Paul Cicarella, Henri Martin and Stephen Harding in a statement.