Bio

Eric M. Smith was born on January 22, 1980, in New York. He grew up in the small village of Savona, which had a population of about 970 people. Eric lived with his adoptive parents, Ted and Tammy Smith. They adopted him shortly after he was born. Eric was a quiet boy who tended to keep to himself. He faced bullying at school due to his appearance. He had red hair, thick glasses, and protruding low-set ears. This made him an easy target for bullies.

Eric’s childhood was not typical. He struggled with school and was often held back in his studies. He showed early signs of emotional difficulties and would sometimes act out, including throwing tantrums. He sought help from his parents when he was feeling angry, but he often felt misunderstood. His father would tell him to deal with his emotions in a more traditional way, which left Eric feeling alone.

In the summer of 1993, Eric participated in a recreation program near where he lived. He often rode his bike around town by himself. At this age, Eric had no close friends and felt isolated. It was during this time that he crossed paths with Derrick Robie, a young boy who was just four years old.

As a young teenager, he became more withdrawn. The summer before the incident that would dramatically change his life, he spent a lot of time alone, often riding his bike in silence around the neighborhood. This period of isolation continued to shape his troubled personality.

Murder Story

Eric M. Smith murdered four-year-old Derrick Robie on August 2, 1993, in Savona, New York. On that day, Derrick was on his way to a recreation program. He was supposed to go with his mother, but she was not ready, so Derrick decided to go by himself. He only had a short distance to walk on a dead-end street.

Smith, who was 13 at the time, lured Derrick to a remote area in a nearby park. Once there, he attacked Derrick by strangling him and then struck him with two large rocks. After that, Smith committed further acts of sexual violence against the boy. The cause of Derrick's death was determined to be blunt trauma to the head, along with contributing asphyxia.

Derrick's body was found shortly after the murder. Smith was arrested seven days later when he confessed to the crime. He faced trial in 1994 and was convicted of second-degree murder. At that time, the maximum sentence for juvenile murderers was nine years to life in prison.

During his time in prison, Smith wrote a letter to Derrick's family expressing sorrow for his actions. He reflected on the loss that the Robie family faced due to Derrick's murder. Smith has been denied parole several times since his incarceration and remains imprisoned as of April 2010.