A man who committed a gruesome act by consuming parts of his friend’s brain and eyes described the experience as tasting like oysters.
Tyree Smith, 35, had exhibited erratic behavior, talking about Greek gods and expressing a desire to become violent before brutally murdering Angel ‘Tun Tun’ Gonzalez with a hatchet in December 2011. Gonzalez’s mutilated body was found in an abandoned residence in Bridgeport, where Smith had resided as a child, in January 2012.
Smith’s cousin, Nicole Rabb, testified that Smith had visited her the day before the incident, discussing Greek mythology and his violent intentions. The following day, Smith returned covered in blood, admitting to consuming Gonzalez’s organs and claiming to have “obtained his blood” while under the influence of Sake.
Smith confessed to Rabb that he found Gonzalez’s eye to taste like oysters and revealed that he had consumed the body parts at a graveyard after dismembering Gonzalez’s remains with an axe. Despite expressing remorse in court in 2013, Smith’s release from a high-security mental facility after serving 60 years raised concerns among the victim’s family members.
Talitha Frazier, Gonzalez’s sister-in-law, questioned the decision to release Smith, expressing fears about his potential to repeat such heinous acts. Connecticut’s Psychiatric Security Review Board permitted Smith to leave the mental facility in February, following reports of his stability and positive presence in a group home in Waterbury.
Dr. Caren Teitelbaum praised Smith’s progress, stating that he had been a calming influence on other patients and had adhered to treatment regimens. However, concerns were raised by State Senator Paul Cicarella about releasing an individual involved in murder and cannibalism back into society.
Medical professionals emphasized the importance of Smith’s continued medication and supervision to prevent potential harm, acknowledging his controlled schizophrenia condition. The decision to discharge Smith from the mental facility was finalized in February, overturning a previous ruling that deemed him a threat to others.
State senators expressed disappointment and alarm over Smith’s release, citing concerns for public safety and the well-being of crime victims. They criticized the decision as unacceptable and worrying, emphasizing the severity of the crimes committed by Smith.
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