A Texas man has been found guilty of murdering his father, a crime committed just a day after he was released on bond for stabbing a police dog. Ryan Mitchell Smith, 26 at the time, was initially arrested on Jan. 22, 2022, following an unsuccessful carjacking attempt in Houston. Smith fled the scene but was pursued by a police dog named Nate, whom he allegedly stabbed. The dog survived the attack, according to Houston police.
Smith was subsequently charged with evading arrest, interference with a police service animal, and robbery-bodily injury, and was held at the Harris County Jail. He was released the next day after posting a $50,000 bond. However, on the night of Jan. 25, Houston police were called to the residence of Smith’s father, 51-year-old Cameron Smith, following a report of his disappearance.
Upon arrival, police spotted Ryan Smith driving his father’s GMC Denali pickup truck, which had its lights off and license plates removed. When officers attempted to stop him, Smith led them on a 15-minute chase covering 10 miles before crashing and fleeing on foot. Inside the vehicle, police discovered a loaded hunting rifle, a black Labrador retriever, and a bloody 15-pound metal dumbbell.
Police subsequently entered Cameron Smith’s home, where they discovered his body in a trash can with a bag tied around his head. Later that day, Ryan Smith was apprehended in Austin County and charged with murder. He confessed to killing his father on Jan. 24, under the pretense of searching for deer meat in the garage. He admitted to striking his father three times in the head with the dumbbell found in the truck, and then tying a plastic bag around his head.
Three years after the incident, a jury convicted Ryan Smith of his father’s murder. His defense attorneys argued that Smith was experiencing a manic episode at the time of the crime, a claim refuted by prosecutors who pointed out that Smith had taken measures to conceal the murder. A sentencing date is yet to be set.
Cameron Smith was remembered in his obituary as a loving father, including to Ryan, his convicted son. The obituary described him as a source of counsel, strength, and unconditional love for his children, regardless of circumstances.