Guilty Verdict: Stabbing At Narragansett Indian Tribe Powwow

SOUTH KINGSTOWN, RI — Troy Lake Simonds, 28, of Westerly, was found guilty today of one count of assault with a dangerous weapon, Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin said. Simonds had waived his right to a jury, and his six-day trial was presided over by Superior Court Justice Melanie Wilk Thunberg.

During the course of the trial, Kilmartin's office said, 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.

Simonds was allowed to remain out on bail pending sentencing, which is scheduled for Aug. 30.

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