Connecticut Cannibal Tyree Smith was a serious threat to life in prison before release: report
New prison documents show that Tyree Smith, who has been dubbed the “Connecticut Cannibal,” exhibited violent behavior behind bars and was a “serious threat to life” in prison before he was granted release, according to a news report.Smith confessed to the 2011 killing of a homeless man, Angel Gonzalez, in Connecticut, and he admitted to eating the victim’s body parts in a cemetery.In 2013, a three-judge panel found Smith not guilty by reason of insanity in the death of Gonzalez.However, he was committed to Connecticut Valley Hospital for 60 years.Smith was granted a conditional release by the Nutmeg State’s Psychiatric Security Review Board in February 2025, which allows him to leave Connecticut Valley Hospital in Middletown.However, Smith will remain under supervision and will continue to receive mental health services, according to WTNH.For months, Smith has been staying full-time at a community facility with strict conditions, treatment and around-the-clock supervision, CBS News reported after the release from the hospital was granted.Smith’s doctor said the cannibal killer has been rehabilitated and is taking medications to help with psychosis and voices in his head, WTNH reported.“To quote the director there, he is a joy.
He is considered a support to the other people there,” forensic psychiatrist Caren Teitelbaum said.“Once he was stable, he was a really calming presence for other patients.”“He has maintained clinical stability.
Adhered to the medications and continued to engage in group and substance abuse treatment,” Teitelbaum added.“He also denied visual hallucinations and a desire to harm others or himself.”However, new prison documents obtained by WTNH from the Connecticut Department of Correction suggest otherwise.The documents, which the outlet described as revealing a more violent and darker side of Smith, outline several altercations he had with other inmates while serving a portion of his sentence.In April 201...