Ind. man allegedly claimed brain implant 'programmed' him to beat uncle to death with hammer
02/24/2023 2:24 pm PST
GREENFIELD, Ind. (TCD) -- A 39-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder for allegedly fatally beating his uncle with a hammer at their home last week.
According to a statement, on Feb. 16, at 10:19 p.m., deputies from the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department and Greenfield Police Department officers went to a residence on East U.S. 40 and found 69-year-old Freddie Patterson deceased. Deputies took Daniel Smith into custody on a murder charge, and he is being held without bond.
Court documents cited by WXIN-TV allege Smith’s mother and Patterson’s half-sister found him downstairs with his face "all smashed in" after she heard a banging noise. The mother reportedly saw blood and other brain matter on the floor around Patterson’s body.
Smith reportedly walked by his mother holding something, and she said she was unable to discern if it was "Jell-O or blood with fruit in it."
According to WXIN, court documents say Smith told investigators he "was not really sure" if Patterson was really Patterson and allegedly made comments inferring his uncle was in a cult. Smith allegedly reported Patterson to the FBI, but "wasn’t sure why" he actually did it.
Smith claimed his home in Greenfield was "being used as a channel for trafficking and illegal products" to "Singapore and the Chinese mafia."
On the night in question, Smith alleged Patterson "verbally abused him" when they were in the kitchen, and Smith checked if Patterson "had a mask on." Smith reportedly said a brain implant he had "programmed" him to beat Patterson with a hammer, which he did 10 times.
He reportedly took a shower after the beating "because he didn’t feel clean" from the "artificial human matter" on his body.
Court documents say Smith "offered to donate some of his front lobes" to his uncle, but detectives informed him it "wouldn’t help" Patterson.
Hancock County court records show Smith pleaded not guilty and he is due back in court for a pretrial conference in April.
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