Derrick Robie, 4, was brutally murdered in 1993 by 42-year-old Steuben County, New York, resident Eric Smith, who was later found guilty of the crime.
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Smith wasn’t even a teenager yet. In the upcoming episode 22 of 48 Hours on ID Season 18, his horrifying experience will be recounted and explored. The current episode of 48 Hours on ID is officially titled Eric Smith: Gambling on a Killer. The following is the episode’s official synopsis:
After being freed from prison in February 2022 after serving 28 years for the 1993 murder of Derrick Robie, age 4, Jim Axelrod looks into whether or not Eric Smith has changed.
Before Episode 22 of Season 18 of the true-crime series airs on Investigation Discovery, let’s jump straight in to learn the five most crucial details about Eric Smith. Before the new Investigation Discovery series 48 Hours on ID premieres, learn five interesting facts about Eric Smith.
Who is Eric Smith, exactly?
Eric’s life was irreparably wrecked in August 2013 by a tragic series of incidents. Smith, who was 13 at the time, resided in the little community of Steuben County in New York. Smith is 42 years old right now. His fiancee is a law student. Smith declared his desire to get married and start a family. At one of his plea hearings, he said:
“I’d like to settle down and start a family. Maintain your employment, you know. Keep pursuing the American dream. (Refer to CBS News)
What did Eric do exactly?
Eric, then 13 years old, brutally tortured and killed Derrick Robie, a four-year-old child from the same community, on August 2, 1993.
Derrick was initially duped into chasing Eric into the woods, where he killed him by strangling and bashing him. Police discovered the boy’s battered corpse in the forest after his parents reported him missing, shocking the entire little village of Steuben County, New York.
What happened after the horrifying crime?
After the awful incident, Eric Smith was taken to the case investigators by his mother and a family friend, where he admitted to his heinous behavior. Smith was given a nine-year prison term by the judge in August 1994. He was taken to a juvenile detention center when he was 21 and later transferred to a jail.
Why did Eric do an act so heinous?
Sources claim that Eric killed the person because he was tired of being bullied. Because of his freckles and red hair, he was made fun of by other teenagers at school. Even after killing Derrick Robie, he continued to harbor anger at the young people. He responded by saying to CBS News:
My anger was directed at all the other males who used to tease me, not at Derrick in particular. And when I was torturing and killing Derrick, that’s what I saw in my head.
What has become of Eric?
After serving 28 years in prison, Eric was released and moved to Queens, New York, where he currently resides. He expressed guilt and regret at his court appearances to enter a plea, saying:
“I did kill Derrick… And, you know, I’m sorry. I would gladly live in his grave and take up residence in his place if I could. (Source: CBS News
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