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submitted 1 year ago by ZeroCool@feddit.ch to c/news@lemmy.world

A man who killed and ate a man has been released back into public life after ten years.

Tyree Smith, from Bridgeport, Connecticut, killed a homeless man and then ate his brain and eyeballs according to officials.

The horrific case made headline news, with Smith found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity after a July 2013 trial.

In lieu of a stint behind bars, Smith was ordered committed to a state psychiatric hospital for 60 years.

But now, ten years after the grim incident, the state Psychiatric Security Review Board said Smith was ready to be transitioned back into the community.

Smith has been released from the facility, Connecticut’s most secure, as of writing.

He will be living in a Waterbury group home, and is not allowed to associate with anyone involved in criminal activity.

The board stated in its report: “Tyree Smith is an individual with a psychiatric illness requiring care, custody and treatment.

“Since his last hearing Tyree Smith has continued to demonstrate clinical stability.

“Mr. Smith is medication compliant, actively engaged in all recommended forms of treatment, and has been symptom-free for many years.”

During the trial, Smith’s cousin Nicole Rabb claimed he arrived at her Connecticut home in December 2011, talking about Greek gods and ruminating about needing to go out and get blood.

When she saw him the next evening she noticed what appeared to be specks of blood on his pants and that he was carrying chopsticks and a bloody ax.

Smith then allegedly told Rabb he killed a man and ate his brains in the Lakeview Cemetery while drinking sake, and grimly warned he intended to eat more people.

A month later, police found Angel Gonzalez's mutilated body in the vacant apartment on Brooks Street in Bridgeport where Smith had lived as a child.

Police later recovered the bloody ax and an empty bottle of sake in a stream bed near the Boston Avenue cemetery.

The defense's case rested on the testimony of Yale University psychiatrist Dr. Reena Kapoor, who testified that Smith had kept his lust for human flesh after his arrest, even offering to eat her.

Kapoor claimed Smith suffered from psychotic incidents since childhood and heard voices that told him to kill people.

She then said the voices ordered Smith to eat the victim's brain so they would get a better understanding of human behavior and the eyes so that they could see into the "spirit realm."

Kapoor added that Smith went to Subway after eating the man's body parts.

The report on Smith’s release said: “He denied experiencing cravings but stated that if they were to arise, he would reach out to his hospital and community supports and providers.”

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[-] BluJay320 248 points 1 year ago

Some of y’all really need to figure out the difference between punishment and rehabilitation…

And which one actually works.

Stop stroking your hate boners and start advocating for real solutions. You don’t fix pain with more pain. All that does is exacerbate the cycle.

[-] Earthwormjim91@lemmy.world 37 points 1 year ago

He ended someone’s life. That alone should remove him from society forever.

Now his entire release hinges on him being compliant with his meds to not end someone else’s life.

[-] GreenMario@lemm.ee 17 points 1 year ago

Naw this dude is damaged goods. What happens when they cut his meds or if he stops taking it? Other peoples brains gonna be looking very tasty in that group home.

No, this a death penalty thing and that's a mercy. You kill a guy and eat his brains there's no coming back, just kill the bastard cheaply and use the resources to rehabilitate someone that can readjust like a drug user.

Planets fucking full anyways to keep a cannibal alive tbh. Make room for good people.

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[-] squirrelwithnut@lemmy.world 13 points 1 year ago

The problem is our justice system only focuses on the punishment part. Rehabilitation is either non-existent for most inmates or completely inadequate. The likelihood of this man being mentally stable enough to be safely reintegrated into public life is extremely small.

[-] Jakeroxs@sh.itjust.works 13 points 1 year ago

He didn't go to prison though, he went to a pysch ward, seems like exactly the kind of thing you'd be advocating for.

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[-] M500@lemmy.ml 72 points 1 year ago

He ate a man’s brains and eye balls.

Eww gross.

He went to subway after eating the man’s body parts.

EWWWWW! GROSS!

[-] Pappabosley@lemmy.world 23 points 1 year ago

We have crab juice or mountain dew

[-] Mister_Rogers@kbin.social 56 points 1 year ago

The American punitive view vs. a rehabilitative one is terrifyingly real in these comments. It was an awful awful thing that happened, and he should be monitored the rest of his life, but if it is determined by medical professionals (a.k.a. not you) then he deserves to lead a full life, and have the opportunity to contribute to a society that he caused harm too instead of being a cost to taxpayers everywhere for the rest of his life, while he is medicated and able to rejoin society, that harms everyone even more in the long run.

This man should have had the health supports he needed before this ever happened, likely something exacerbated by the US medical system.

Also to dispel some common myths:

  • Due to legal fees, it costs significantly MORE to sentence someone to death in the US (sidenote, also one of the few 1st world countries still conducting the backwards barbaric practice), than the cost of them continuing to serve life in prison; it is not the "cheap" option.
  • Insanity pleas on average 1) yield longer sentences in mental facilities than similar cases where there was no insanity plea, b) if not successful in getting an insanity sentence yield longer jail sentences on average. From a criminal judicial standpoint, there is very rarely any advantage to pleading insanity, and it's even rarer still that someone actually gets it when they were not in fact insane. The testing, and level of evidence needed far exceeds what you can gather from a casual read and comment online. It is a hugely rare thing legally, we just tend to hear about them as they're represented in the media at disproportionate rates compared to standard trials.

To all my American friends, not shitting on you, you're a wonderful country, of largely wonderful people, but with some bad bad bad policies that I hope will improve in coming years.

Love,

Your hat.

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[-] Ddhuud@lemmy.world 34 points 1 year ago
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[-] roguetrick@kbin.social 30 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

If the antipsychotics are working, then fine. This dude was truly cracked at the time to both admit it to people and offer to eat his doctors.

[-] Blapoo@lemmy.ml 25 points 1 year ago
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[-] Nachorella@lemmy.sdf.org 25 points 1 year ago

Taking the story at face value, imagine how horrible you'd feel knowing what you'd done. I really hope they are doing better now but fuck having those memories.

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[-] Eonandahalf@lemmy.world 24 points 1 year ago

How do you casually ask to eat your therapist? 🙃

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[-] AbouBenAdhem@lemmy.world 23 points 1 year ago

Any stats on the recidivism rate for the mentally ill who are treated and cleared by the Psychiatric Security Review Board, versus convicts who serve conventional terms?

[-] BluJay320 18 points 1 year ago

Recidivism for offenders that simply serve a prison sentence as opposed to getting actual treatment is much, much higher.

I’m not sure of the exact stats in this situation, but I know domestic abusers that simply go to prison are some ~230% (give or take a couple tens, I can’t remember off the top of my head) more likely to reoffend than those who are actually treated.

Again, idk the stats for this case, but you will find that those who are simply punished rather than treated have higher recidivism rates across the board.

[-] jarfil@lemmy.world 23 points 1 year ago

the voices ordered Smith to eat the victim's brain so they would get a better understanding of human behavior and the eyes so that they could see into the "spirit realm."

"Disassembly reveals useful pathways"...

[-] dethb0y@lemmy.world 18 points 1 year ago

Dude should have never been released simply because we can't ever be sure he'll take his medication or adhere to treatment in the future. At some point, the safety of an individual and the public takes priority over turning them loose on the streets.

[-] ME5SENGER_24@lemm.ee 16 points 1 year ago

He ate someone’s brain and eyeballs. He will never be ready to be a part of society. Ever.

[-] Thekingoflorda@lemmy.world 34 points 1 year ago

Yes, let’s listen to you, someone who most likely has no professional experience in the field of psychology, instead of a bunch of people who did study for it.

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[-] jcit878@lemmy.world 15 points 1 year ago

i hope the guy is truly rehabilitated and is getting the ongoing treatment he needs.

but lets be honest, id rather he not live on my street

[-] Fredselfish@lemmy.world 15 points 1 year ago

How long before he recommits this crime. 10 years that bullshit.

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[-] comedy@kbin.social 14 points 1 year ago

Anyone else think the Sake part of the story is really weird too? Like, is that the preferred pairing with human flesh? Who makes that recommendation? A cannibal sommelier?

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[-] yoz@aussie.zone 12 points 1 year ago

Fucking bizzare! Who the fuck is down voting this post ?

[-] Cethin@lemmy.zip 25 points 1 year ago

I was tempted to. I always hate these posts. If he's healthy and doing well and observed, I'm glad he's out. Hopefully he benefits society.

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this post was submitted on 30 Sep 2023
364 points (100.0% liked)

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