HOUSTON, TX – A Texas jury has found Ryan Mitchell Smith guilty of murdering his father, a crime committed shortly after Smith was released on bail for stabbing a police dog.
This tragic sequence began on January 22, 2022, when Smith, then 26, attempted an unsuccessful carjacking in Houston’s Memorial Heights area. With police in pursuit, Smith allegedly wounded a police dog named Nate, who later recovered from his injuries, according to Houston police.
Smith was initially charged with evading arrest, interference with a police service animal, and robbery, resulting in bodily injury. Smith was released after posting a $50,000 bond. Only days later, on January 25, 2022, officers responded to a missing person report at Cameron Smith’s residence, where events took another tragic turn.
Upon arriving, officers observed Ryan Smith driving his father’s vehicle, which had its lights off and license plates removed. When police attempted to stop him, Smith led them on a 10-mile chase. He eventually crashed and fled on foot, leaving behind a loaded rifle, a black Labrador, and a blood-stained dumbbell in the vehicle.
Inside Cameron Smith’s home, investigators discovered his body hidden in a trash can, with a plastic bag wrapped around his head. Later that day, Ryan Smith was apprehended in Austin County and charged with murder.
Court documents revealed that Smith confessed to luring his father into their garage on January 24, 2022, allegedly under the pretense of searching for deer meat. He then struck his father three times with a 15-pound dumbbell, later using a plastic bag in an attempt to conceal the crime.
The defense claimed Smith was in a manic state, aiming for an insanity verdict. However, the prosecution highlighted his deliberate actions to disguise the murder, ultimately leading to his conviction. Sentencing is scheduled to occur later.
Cameron Smith, described fondly in his obituary, was remembered as a devoted father to Ryan and his siblings Blake, Spencer, and Avery, offering guidance and unconditional love.