Former U.S. Army Ranger Sentenced to 20 Years for Beating Security Guard to Death

Former U.S. Army Ranger Spc. Patrick Philip Byrne was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Friday for the first-degree murder of security guard Denise Smith in downtown Tacoma. Byrne pleaded guilty to the murder, which occurred on July 18, 2021, after attacking Smith outside the Frank Russel Building, where she had worked for just five shifts.

Surveillance footage revealed that Byrne assaulted Smith for 8 to 10 minutes, dragging her by the hair, punching her repeatedly, and ultimately choking her until she went limp. He then attempted to gouge her eyes out with the guard’s keys before fleeing the scene, falling or jumping from a ledge, and later claiming to have no memory of the incident.

During the sentencing hearing, six of Smith’s relatives spoke, expressing their grief and seeking justice. Smith’s sister, Tina Renee Mack, wore green, Smith’s favorite color, to remind Byrne of her sister’s name whenever he saw it. Smith, originally from Seattle, graduated from Rainier Beach High School in 1998 and had family ties to Indiana.

Byrne’s attorney cited a physical altercation at a bar before the murder, where Byrne was punched in the head and subsequently attempted to enter the building where Smith was working. The defense argued that Byrne’s actions were influenced by a brain injury sustained from the earlier altercation.

Pierce County Superior Court Judge Stanley Rumbaugh acknowledged the defense’s arguments but emphasized Byrne’s responsibility for his actions. He described the murder as “unspeakably cruel” and sentenced Byrne to the low end of the recommended sentencing range.

Byrne expressed remorse in court, attributing the incident to his head injury and expressing regret for his actions. Outside the courtroom, Smith’s sister, Tina Mack, expressed mixed feelings about the sentence, acknowledging Byrne’s remorse but recognizing the irreversible loss of her sister’s life.

Byrne, who remained on active duty pending the completion of his civilian trial, faces administrative separation from the Army. Raised in New York and North Carolina, Byrne joined the military at age 23 following the events of September 11, 2001. Prior to Smith’s murder, he had recently returned from a deployment to Afghanistan.

The sentencing marked the end of a tragic chapter for both Smith’s family and Byrne, who expressed profound regret for his actions and the devastating consequences they had inflicted.