Tyree Smith, 35, who killed his friend Angel “Tun Tun” Gonzalez in 2011 and consumed parts of his brain and eyes, has been granted conditional release from a mental health facility in Connecticut. Smith, who had been institutionalized for over a decade, was diagnosed with schizophrenia and committed the murder while expressing delusions about Greek gods.
During his trial, Smith described the horrific act, saying the eyes “tasted like oysters” and admitted to dismembering Gonzalez with a hatchet and consuming parts of his body in a graveyard. He has previously expressed remorse in court, stating, “I’m really sorry for what I did.”
Smith had been held at Connecticut Valley Hospital in Middletown after serving time at a maximum-security mental facility. Doctors reported that he has remained clinically stable, adheres to his medication, and no longer experiences hallucinations or violent impulses. Under his conditional release, he will reside in a communal setting under strict supervision while continuing treatment.
However, the decision has sparked outrage among state officials and the public. Connecticut Senators Heather Somers, Paul Cicarella, Henri Martin, and Stephen Harding called the release “outrageous” and “mind-boggling,” warning it puts public safety at risk and sends a troubling message to victims of violent crime.
State psychiatrists insist that Smith poses minimal risk while under supervision, but they acknowledged that discontinuing his medication could render him dangerous.
