A U.S. Army Ranger formerly stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord was sentenced Friday to 20 years in prison for beating a security guard to death in downtown Tacoma after he went out drinking with other Rangers.
Spc. Patrick Philip Byrne pleaded guilty in March to first-degree murder in the July 18, 2021 death of 41-year-old Denise Smith. The woman had worked just five shifts at the 12-story Frank Russel Building, 909 A St., before Byrne attacked her.
Surveillance video showed the soldier assault Smith for 8 to 10 minutes, according to court records, dragging her by the hair and repeatedly punching her before using the guard’s keys to stab her in the face, apparently attempting to gouge her eyes out, records state. He then flipped Smith onto her stomach and choked her until she went limp, then continued to choke her for another minute or two.
After the attack, Byrne tried to smash a window in a conference room and threw around furniture in the lobby. He then exited, and according to charging documents fell or jumped from a ledge 14-feet above street level. He eventually was brought to a hospital, where he told detectives he had no memory of what happened.
Six of Smith’s relatives spoke during the hearing, and more sat in the courtroom gallery with a sign that included a photo of the woman in her security officer uniform. Smith’s sister, Tina Renee Mack, wore all green. She said it was her sister’s favorite color, and she wanted…
