Man who ate part of his victim's brain granted supervised release from Connecticut psychiatric hospital

A Connecticut man who was found not guilty by reason of insanity of killing a victim with a hatchet and eating body parts has been granted conditional release from the state's only maximum-security psychiatric hospital, despite concerns expressed by the victim's family and state lawmakers.

Tyree Smith was ordered confined to Whiting Forensic Hospital for 60 years in 2013 in connection with the killing of Angel Gonzalez, whose mutilated body was found in a vacant apartment in Bridgeport in January 2012 a month after he was hacked to death. Smith's cousin had testified that Smith told her he ate part of Gonzalez's brain and an eyeball while drinking sake.

The state's Psychiatric Security Review Board granted Smith conditional release from the hospital on Friday after hearing from a psychiatrist, who said Smith's schizophrenia and alcohol and drug disorders were in full remission as a result of medication and other treatment.