Eric Smith (murderer)
Eric M. Smith (born January 22, 1980) is an American convicted murderer who, at the age of thirteen, killed a four-year-old child, Derrick Robie (October 2, 1988 – August 2, 1993), in Steuben County, New York, on August 2, 1993. Smith was convicted of second-degree murder in 1994 and sentenced to the maximum term then available for juvenile murderers: a minimum of nine years to life in prison. Smith was paroled in October 2021, after 27 years in prison. Early life. Smith enjoyed spending time with his grandparents, Red and Edie Wilson; Red said "He  would always come in and give us hugs and kisses. He liked being a clown." Murder. On August 2, 1993, when Smith was thirteen years old, he was riding his bike home from summer camp in a local park day camp after being told to leave due to "bad behavior" and 4-year-old Derrick Robie was walking alone to that same camp. Smith saw Robie and lured him into a nearby wooded area. There, Smith strangled him, dropped a large rock on the boy's head, and sodomized him with a small stick. The cause of death was determined  to be blunt trauma to the head with contributing asphyxia. At around 11:00 a.m., Robie's mother, Doreen, went to the park to pick up her son, only to find that Robie did not arrive. After four hours of investigation, Robie's body was found. The murder case made national headlines, largely due to the age of the killer (13) and of the victim (4). On August 8, 1993, Smith confessed to his mother that he killed Derrick. The Smith family informed law enforcement later that night. Smith was subjected to extensive medical testing from specialists on both sides. They  examined brain function, hormone levels and found nothing to explain his violent behavior. According to court documents, Smith was a loner who was often tormented by bullies for his protruding low-set ears, thick glasses, red hair and freckles. A defense psychiatrist testified to diagnosing Smith with intermittent explosive disorder, a mental disorder causing individuals to be violent and unpredictable. However, the prosecution's expert said this was a rare disorder that was rarely seen at Smith's age. In his 2014 parole hearing, Smith said that he had been bullied by older children at school, and also by his  father and two older sisters. He confessed that he took his rage out on Robie, so he killed him. Conviction and incarceration. On August 16, 1994, Smith was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to the maximum term then available for juvenile murderers: a minimum of nine years to life in prison. While in jail, Smith read out an apology letter to Robie's family on public television: At the end of this statement, Smith states that he cannot bear the thought of "walls, razor wire, and steel metal bars" for the rest of his life. He has  also apologized to Derrick Robie in interviews. Smith was held in a juvenile facility for three years and was then transferred to an open prison for young adults. In 2001, he was transferred to the Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, New York, a maximum security prison. As of May 3, 2016, the NYS Department of Corrections website showed him incarcerated at Collins Correctional Facility, a medium security prison for male inmates in Erie County, New York. On April 26, 2019, he was listed as incarcerated at Gowanda Correctional Facility, a medium security prison which is co-located with Collins Correctional  Facility. On November 30, 2019, he was listed as incarcerated at the Woodbourne Correctional Facility in Sullivan County. Smith had been denied parole ten times since 2002, most recently in January 2020. After the failed 2012 hearing, the parole board cited a concern for public safety in its decision, and Robie's parents opposed his release. At that hearing, he told a parole board he would not return to Savona if released, and would go to a shelter or halfway house instead. In October 2021, Smith was granted parole after 27 years of incarceration. He was scheduled to be released  on November 17, 2021, but his release was delayed due to Smith not having an approved residence. Smith was ultimately released from prison on February 1, 2022.