Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin announced that Troy Lake Simonds (age 28), of Westerly, was found guilty today of one count of assault with a dangerous weapon after a six-day, jury-waived trial presided over by Superior Court Justice Melanie Wilk Thunberg.
During the course of the trial, the State proved that on August 9, 2014, Simonds stabbed Andrew J. Smith, of South Kingstown, during an altercation at the Narragansett Indian Tribe's annual powwow on tribal land in Charlestown. Simonds and Smith are both members of the Narragansett Indian Tribe.
The FBI and Narragansett Tribal Police investigated the stabbing. According to an FBI affidavit, the tribal police responded to a call of a disturbance at the Potter Hoxie Trail at about 10:30 p.m. As the police made their way through an unruly crowd, they spotted Smith clutching his chest. Several witnesses identified Simonds as the assailant. Smith, who spent several days in a trauma unit, told the police that he did not know Simonds.
The case was initially charged by the United States Attorney's Office, but the federal indictment was dismissed by U.S. District Court Judge Mary M. Lisi over an issue of jurisdiction.
Special Assistant Attorney General Charles Calenda prosecuted the case on behalf of the Office of Attorney General.
Simonds was allowed to remain out on bail pending sentencing, which is scheduled for August 30, 2017.