Who is Tyree Smith? Outrage as ‘Cannibal Killer’ who ate victim's brain, eye granted conditional release

In 2013, Tyree Smith was sentenced to 60 years in Whiting Forensic Hospital for the murder of Angel Gonzalez.

The Psychiatric Security Review Board in Middletown granted conditional release to Connecticut man from a maximum-security mental health facility after he was declared not guilty by reason of insanity for using a hatchet to kill a victim and then devouring their body parts. The ruling has generated huge outrage, with GOP leaders calling it the “outrageous” move.

Tyree Smith's Smith's cousin claimed that he told her that he had eaten an eyeball and a portion of Gonzalez's brain while drinking alcohol. (AP)

In 2013, Tyree Smith was sentenced to 60 years in Whiting Forensic Hospital for the murder of Angel Gonzalez, whose mangled corpse was discovered in a vacant Bridgeport apartment in January 2012, just a month after he was hacked to death.

In his testimony, Smith's cousin claimed that he told her that he had eaten an eyeball and a portion of Gonzalez's brain while drinking alcohol.

According to the CT Post, Gonzalez's family stated at the time that they wanted Smith to be see him behind the bars for the rest of his life, particularly since he had used an axe to murder their loved one before consuming his brain, eyeball, and several of the 43-year-old's organs at Lakeview Cemetery.

The board stated on Friday that Smith had demonstrated stability and was diligently seeking treatment.

According to WFSB, the board gave him a “conditional release,” which permits him to step out of the hospital for a period of time while being closely monitored as he continues his mental health therapies.

Gonzalez's sister expresses fear

Talitha Frazier, Gonzalez's sister-in-law, expressed her fear that Smith was currently suppressing his mental illness during a hearing held Friday before the board.

She questioned, “How do we really know he’s not going to do this again?”

Smith will initially be kept in a hospital, but will be offered day passes. He will be granted further privileges if he continues to participate in the program and demonstrate improvement.

“Rehabilitation, not punishment, is the goal for all individuals found Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity (NGRI),” the board statement read.

MAGA outrage

Meanwhile, the decision has sparked a lot of criticism, with State Senators Heather Somers, Paul Cicarella, Henri Martin, and Stephen Harding denouncing the judgment in a joint statement as “mind-boggling”.

“This individual killed and ate part of his victim and was found not guilty by reason of insanity. His victim’s family raised objections about his release. What about THEM? Where is the justice for THEM? This terrible decision puts public safety in jeopardy and is yet another terrible message to send to Connecticut’s violent crime victims and their families. This person should never be out,” they wrote.

“We are dumbfounded at this injustice,” the Senators added. “In what universe is this OK?”