HANCOCK COUNTY — The bench murder trial against Daniel James Smith wrapped late Wednesday afternoon in Hancock County Superior Court 1. Judge D.J. Davis will now weigh the evidence and reconvene in court at 3 p.m. Oct. 16 to render his decision.
Smith, 40, Greenfield, has been accused of killing Freddie E. Patterson, 69, Greenfield, on Feb. 16, 2023, by repeatedly striking his face with a hammer. Officials noted pre-trial work indicated Smith was competent to stand trial, but there were questions surrounding Smith’s mental capacity during the murder.
Hancock County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Aimee Herring told the court Smith should be held accountable, found guilty of murder, but mentally ill. Smith’s Defense Attorney, Jeremy Teipen, requested the court find Smith not guilty of murder by reason of mental disease.
Herring noted the case is a tragic example of the mental health crisis in America and one of the potential consequences of an un-medicated schizophrenic suffering from paranoid delusions who turned to extremely violent behavior. Throughout the trial, the state repeatedly warned members of the gallery when crime scene photos would be shown due to the gory nature of the scene.
“This was one of the worst scenes I have ever witnessed in my career,” Herring said. “The visions of Mr. Patterson are hard to get out of my head.”
Both the state and defense cited 15 cases combined for the court to review, causing Judge Davis to delay his decision for several weeks so he could have time to review all the evidence.
Davis told those in the courtroom the case was “a horrible situation,” and that he would not wish it on any family. Davis also noted while it was not his intention to delay the matter by delaying his decision on the bench trial, there was a lot of case-law presented in closing presentations which he had not seen, and it’s his intent to thoroughly examine what was cited.
The bench trial started Monday afternoon, and Smith did not did not testify on his own behalf. Following closing arguments, both sides rested and handed over the case to Judge Davis who told the Daily Reporter the state had previously lined up Smith to meet with Gallahue Mental Health Center Community Hospitals of Indiana for an evaluation in mid-September.
In the meantime, Judge Davis said Smith will remain in the Hancock County Jail where he’s being held under no bond in maximum security.
According to a probable cause affidavit, officials from the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department and Greenfield Police Department responded to a 911 call stating someone was dead at a home located in the 5600 block of East U.S. 40, Greenfield, Feb. 16, 2023.
Smith, 5600 block of East U.S. 40, is facing one count of murder surrounding the family dispute. The charge normally carries anywhere from 45 to 65 years in prison, with an advisory sentence of 55 years.
According to the affidavit, upon arrival, officials spoke with a woman, Smith’s mother, who said there was an unresponsive male sitting in a chair in the living room.
The male, identified later as Patterson, had severe facial trauma and was not breathing, officials said in the affidavit. The woman told officials her son, Smith, was also in the house. When Smith eventually walked outside to surrender with his hands held up, officials noticed he was wet from head to toe, covered in water.
Officials took Smith’s mother to the Sheriff’s office for an interview, and she told them the man in the chair was her half brother, Patterson, and that three people, including herself, her son Smith and Patterson, had lived in the residence since 2012, the affidavit said.
Smith’s mother told officials she went to bed around 9 p.m. She was then awakened by a banging sound. When she went to see what it was, she told officials her son, Smith, walked past her and into the bathroom. She then stated “Fred” was in the chair, and she called out “Fred” but then saw his face was smashed in, the affidavit said.
Smith’s mother noted she immediately called 911 and went to the front door to wait for officials and while there she could hear water running in the bathroom. The woman noted her son and Fred did not have a good relationship, the affidavit said.
Both the state and defense agreed Smith was suffering from a mental disease which impaired his thoughts and behaviors at the time he murdered his uncle, leaving the court to determine whether the mental disease made Smith unable to appreciate the wrongfulness of his conduct.
In closing arguments, Herring stated Smith’s demeanor, his behaviors before and after the offense, the statements he made to law enforcement, and his mental health evaluations when taken in conjunction with each other supported the conclusion that, despite the defendant suffering from a mental disease, he knew what he was doing and that it was wrong, therefore the only appropriate verdict should be guilty but mentally ill.
The defense argued the extent of defendant’s illness was so severe that at the time of the murder, he was not able to appreciate the wrongfulness of his conduct and, therefore, requested a not responsible for murder by reason of insanity verdict.
A defendant found guilty but mentally ill would be sentenced by the court to a term of 45-65 years with mental health treatment ordered as a condition of placement at the Indiana Department of Corrections. A finding of not responsible by reason of insanity would trigger the possibility of a civil mental health commitment at a state hospital.
