The case of Tyree Smith has once again sparked widespread outrage as the Psychiatric Security Review Board in Middletown, Connecticut, granted him a conditional release from Whiting Forensic Hospital. Smith was sentenced in 2013 to 60 years in the maximum-security mental health facility after being found not guilty by reason of insanity for the brutal murder of Angel Gonzalez.
The horrific details of the case, which included Smith using a hatchet to kill Gonzalez and then eating parts of his brain and an eyeball, shocked the nation.
Now, after a decade in the hospital, officials claim he has shown stability and progress in his mental health treatment, leading to his conditional release. However, this decision has sparked major backlash, with many questioning whether justice has truly been served and if public safety is at risk.
The Brutal Murder Of Angel Gonzalez
The gruesome murder of Angel Gonzalez took place in December 2011 in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Tyree Smith, who was later diagnosed with severe mental illness, attacked Gonzalez with an axe, killing him in a vacant apartment.
However, what made this crime even more disturbing was what followed after Gonzalez’s death. Smith reportedly removed parts of his victim’s body, including his brain and an eyeball, which he later consumed while drinking alcohol.
During the investigation, Smith’s cousin testified that he had confessed to the crime, describing in detail how he had eaten parts of Gonzalez’s body. The mutilated corpse of Gonzalez was found in January 2012, horrifying investigators who had never encountered such a shocking crime in the area.
The case quickly became one of the most infamous crimes in Connecticut’s history. Smith was arrested and charged with murder, but his defense team argued that he was severely mentally ill at the time of the crime.
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In 2013, he was found not guilty by reason of insanity (NGRI) and was sentenced to 60 years in Whiting Forensic Hospital, where he was to receive mental health treatment instead of being sent to prison.
The Decision To Grant Conditional Release
After spending more than a decade in the hospital, the Psychiatric Security Review Board determined that Smith had shown enough stability and progress in his treatment to warrant a conditional release.
According to reports, the board stated that he had been diligently seeking treatment and had made significant improvements in managing his mental illness. Under the conditions of his release, Smith will remain under strict supervision while continuing his mental health therapies.
Initially, he will be housed in a hospital setting but will be allowed limited day passes outside the facility. If he continues to comply with his treatment plan and shows further improvement, he may be granted additional privileges over time.
The board emphasized that the goal for individuals found NGRI is rehabilitation, not punishment. However, this decision has sparked intense controversy, particularly among politicians and the victim’s family. Many argue that the severity of his crime should prevent him from ever being released, regardless of his mental health status.
Public Outrage And Political Backlash
The decision to grant Smith conditional release has been met with widespread condemnation. Several Republican state senators, including Heather Somers, Paul Cicarella, Henri Martin, and Stephen Harding, issued a joint statement criticizing the ruling as “mind-boggling” and dangerous for public safety.
“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,” the senators stated.
Victim’s family members have also voiced their distress over the ruling. Talitha Frazier, the sister-in-law of Angel Gonzalez, expressed deep concerns about Smith’s mental stability and the potential danger he could pose to society. “How do we really know he’s not going to do this again?” she asked during the hearing.
Despite the backlash, the board remains firm in its decision, arguing that Smith’s progress in treatment justifies his release under close supervision. However, critics argue that allowing a man who committed such a gruesome act to step outside hospital walls—even under supervision—is an unjustifiable risk.
The case has also drawn attention from the larger political sphere, with many conservatives linking it to broader concerns about crime, justice, and mental health policies in the U.S. The release of a criminally insane individual who committed such an atrocity raises questions about the balance between mental health rehabilitation and justice for victims.
The conditional release of Tyree Smith from Whiting Forensic Hospital is a deeply controversial decision that has reignited public debate over crime, justice, and mental health policies.
While medical professionals argue that he has shown progress in treatment, many—including the victim’s family and political leaders—believe that his crime was too severe to warrant any form of release.
The decision raises critical questions about how society should handle individuals found NGRI and whether mental health treatment should ever justify reintegration into society for those who commit such horrific acts.
As Smith takes his first steps outside the hospital under conditional release, many will be watching closely, hoping that justice and public safety are not compromised in the name of rehabilitation.