A Texas man has been accused of bludgeoning his father to death with a 15-pound dumbbell and tying a plastic bag around the victim's head. A couple of days before brutally attacking his dad, he also stabbed a K-9 dog that responding officers sent to hunt after him.
The accused, Ryan Mitchell Smith, 26, a crime scene cleaner, has been arrested in Austin County after he allegedly killed his father, Cameron Smith, by using a 15-pound dumbbell to hit him three times in the head on Monday, Jan. 24, the Daily Beast reported.
On Saturday, Jan. 22, Smith’s mother called the police for help saying that Smith had just left her home in the Memorial Heights area and was looking for guns and threatening to kill himself. Later that day, Smith allegedly tried to steal a car from two men and also took off with a phone charger before fleeing on foot. He subsequently stabbed a K-9 dog that the responding officers sent to hunt after him.
The man was later taken into custody but allowed to post bail. After his family posted his bond, he went to stay at his father Cameron’s house.
On Monday, Jan. 24, Smith’s family members grew concerned after Cameron disappeared without taking his cell phone. When they looked for him, they realized that his truck was also missing. Following this, Houston Police Department's Missing Persons Unit and homicide detectives were called and they noticed Cameron’s truck parked with the lights off down the street and Smith behind the wheel, ABC13 Houston reported.
Following this, the truck took off and a police chase ensued. When the chase reached Memorial Park, the truck crashed near the Houston Polo Club on the northwest side of the area. After crashing the truck, Smith took off on foot and ran into a wooded lot where officers lost track of him.
After the authorities lost Smith, they conducted an extensive search of Cameron Smith's home and found a body hidden inside the garage. Homicide detectives believe the remains belong to the suspect's missing dad. The corpse was hidden under several items, including a small Christmas tree, a table, and a chair.
The officers later found Smith on Tuesday, Jan. 25, about 50 miles northwest of Houston, walking along a highway in Waller County. After the authorities arrested and interrogated him, he told the officers that he had killed his father by striking him in the head three times with a 15-pound dumbbell before tying a plastic bag around his head.
Meanwhile, Ralph Manginello, Smith’s attorney, said that Smith has a history of mental illness, and what he’s accused of doing was likely the result of a “psychotic episode.”
According to the authorities, Nate, the police dog, who was stabbed by Smith, underwent surgery and is now recovering from his injuries.
Meanwhile, Smith is due back in court on Friday, Jan. 28.
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