A Texas jury found a man guilty of murdering his father by striking him three times with a 15-pound metal dumbbell just one day after bonding out of jail for stabbing a police dog.
Ryan Mitchell Smith, 26, allegedly attempted to carjack a vehicle on January 22, 2022, in Houston’s 800 block of Memorial Heights Drive.
Smith fled after the unsuccessful attempt, but was eventually apprehended by police dog Nate. Smith allegedly stabbed the dog, which sustained non-life-threatening injuries, according to Houston police.
Smith was booked into the Harris County Jail on charges of evading arrest, interfering with a police service animal, and robbery-bodily injury, but he posted a $50,000 bond the next day.
On the night of January 25, 2022, Houston police arrived at the home of Cameron Smith, the defendant’s 51-year-old father, after his family reported him missing.
When police arrived at the house, they noticed Ryan Smith driving down the street in his father’s GMC Denali pickup truck, with the lights turned off and the license plates removed, according to a probable cause arrest affidavit. Cops attempted to stop him, but he sped away, leading police on a 10-mile chase that lasted 15 minutes.
He crashed and ran away. Cops discovered a loaded hunting rifle, a black Labrador retriever dog, and a bloodied 15-pound metal dumbbell inside the vehicle.
Meanwhile, police entered Cameron Smith’s home and discovered him dead in a trash can with a bag wrapped around his head, according to prosecutors. Later that day, police arrested Ryan Smith in Austin County and charged him with murder.
On Jan. 24, 2022, the younger Smith admitted to killing his father by “distracting” him while looking for deer meat in the garage and then hitting him in the head three times with the dumbbell that cops discovered in the Denali. He then tied a plastic bag around his head, according to the affidavit.
Three years later, a jury found the defendant guilty of his father’s murder. Ryan Smith’s attorneys used the insanity defense, claiming that their client was experiencing a manic episode at the time of the crime, according to the Houston Chronicle.
However, prosecutors refuted that claim by pointing out that he attempted to cover up the murder. He is scheduled to be sentenced at a later date.
Cameron Smith’s obituary described him as a loving father — including to the son now convicted of his murder.
“He loved being a father to his sons Ryan, Blake and Spencer and his daughter Avery. Providing great counsel, a listening ear, strength in hard times and patient unconditional love regardless of the circumstance,” the obituary said.
