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Tyree Smith was found not guilty by reason of insanity in the 2011 killing of Angel Gonzalez, a homeless man, at an abandoned home, the CT Post reported in 2013. A three-judge panel ruled Smith was insane and should be held in a psychiatric hospital for 60 years.
Gonzalez’s family said at the time that they wanted to see Smith locked up for the rest of his life, especially given that he had killed their loved one with an axe before eating his eyeball, brain, and several of the 43-year-old’s organs at Lakeview Cemetery, the CT Post reported.
On Friday, the Psychiatric Security Review Board in Middletown ruled that Smith had shown stability and was actively engaging in treatment. The board granted him a "conditional release," allowing him to spend time outside the hospital under strict supervision as he continues his mental health treatments, WFSB reported.
Smith will first receive day passes but will be confined to a hospital. He will gradually get more privileges if he continues to engage with the treatment and show progress.
"Rehabilitation, not punishment, is the goal for all individuals found Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity (NGRI)," the Psychiatric Security Review Board said in a statement.
The decision has sparked major backlash.
State Sens. Heather Somers, Paul Cicarella, Henri Martin, and Stephen Harding slammed the ruling as "outrageous" and "mind-boggling" in a joint statement.
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.
"We are dumbfounded at this injustice," they wrote. "In what universe is this OK?"
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