Halfway2sane

on the morning of august 2nd, 1993, it was the first time doreen robie ever let four year old derrick go anywhere alone. it was just down the block on the same side of the road. he gave his mom a kiss. she said, “i love you” and he said, “i love you mom.” and little derrick robie went hopping down the sidewalk to his summer campt at the park.

what he or his mother didn’t know was that thirteen year old eric smith, a trouble neighborhood kid that had a history of killing animals, was also on his way to that same park. but eric’s intention in going to that park was to annoy and bully the campers there. the camp leader eventually made eric leave and when he did, that’s when he came upon little derrick. eric asked derrick if he was on his way to summer camp and he said he was. eric told him that he knew a short cut and he would take him there. and derrick agreed to go with him. eric took derrick into the woods and what he did as absolutely horrifying.

eric strangled little derrick until he passed out at which point he started punching him and throwing a rock at his little body several times. he then inserted a stick into derrick’s anus. eric left the woods but returned about five minutes later to ensure the boy was dead. and then he went home.

it was later that doreen would find out that her son never made it to summer campt and she reported him missing to police.

with a killer at large the community feared for their children. they couldn’t imagin anyone wanting to kill the popular little t-ball player they called “the unofficial mayor of savona.” the happy kid who would sit at the corner greeting people. they had assumed the killer was a stranger from out of town.

in the days that followed, a family friend, marlene heskell of the smith’s grew concerned about eric’s behavior. she said on the night of the murder eric asked her what would happen if it turned out to be a kid that killed derrick. and she said, “i think they seriously need some sychiatric help.” and he just said, “oh, ok.” and walked away. she knew eric went to the same park near the crime scene and she said that’s when everything clicked and thought he either knew something or seen something. so she called eric’s mother and they took him to the police command post to speak with investigators. the one investigator said eric seemed to enjoy speaking about the murder. totally enjoyed it and didn;t want the converation to end. but eric denied seeing derrick at first. but he later confessed to his mother what he had done. eric’s grandfather was there when he made the confession and recalled eric saying, “i’m sorry mom, i’m sorry. i killed that little boy.”

in august 1994, eric, fourteen years old at this point, was tried as an adult and sentenced nine years to life in prison in november of 1994. he was the youngest murder defendent tried as an adult in new york state history. he was held in a juvenile detention center and transferred to a prison for adults after he turned 21 years old. after his arrest it was found out that eric had intermittent explosive disorder, depression and attention defit hyperactivity disorder.

almost nine years after his crime, he had his first parole hearing, which he was denied. he was denied parole ten times between june 2002 and january 2020. it was a recurring nightmare for little derrick robie’s family. doreen once said, “it upsets me, the fact that we have to beg to keep this killer behind bars. they could decide that well, now he’s done his time and we’re going to let him go. it scares the hell out of me.”

in his 2004 parole board hearing, eric admitted to the board that he got a good feeling from strantling derrick at the time, because, instead of him being hurt, he was hurting somebody else. he also admitted if he hadn’t been charged back in 1993, that he probably would have killed again.

in 2009, he did an interview where he said he hoped to become a counselor so he could help other kids who were bullied like he was. he said,
my anger wasn’t directed at derrick at all. it was directed at all the other guys that used to pick on me. and when i was torturing and killing derrick, that’s what i saw in my head.” he understood why derrick’s family didn’t want him released. he said, “I did kill derrick. and for that i am sorry. if i could switch places with him and take the grave for him to live, i’d do it in a second.” he said after years of therapy, he was a changed man, he said, “you can lable me a monster, a cold-blooded killer, a demon child, satan incarnate. doesn’t mean that’s who i am.” he also believed he would be released someday, saying, “i want to get married and raise a family. hold down a job. pursue the american dream.”

and dreaming he did keep doing. that is until october 2021 until at forty one years old he went before the parole board for the eleventh time. during this parole hearing, eric revealed his future plans and said he even had a fiance. he said she had writtn to him with qustions about the juvenile justice system and since she was studying to be a lawyer. they started to get to know each other and eventually they fell in love. he said he felt god was calling on him to do ministry and while incarcerated, he was working on getting his college degree in crusade evangelism. he was also looking forward to working in electrical installation or carpentry. he said, “i’m not a threat. the thirteen year old kid that took derrick’s life is not the ma sitting in front of you takingt. if you wre to give me a chance, i would not only prove that i’m not a threat, i would definately be an asset to society.” and, the board decided to give eric smith that chance. but, after news broke that he would be released, in november 2021, the savona community held a peacefuld protest to make it clear they didn’t want eric back. doreen, derrick’s mo said, “i wasn’t so much worried about us as i was everybody else. i just knew where a lot of people in town stood.” and eric’s release was delayed for months until he secured approved housing. in february after serving twenty-eight years, forty-two year old eric was released. he is now a free mam living in queens, new york.

doreen said, “i don’t let him take space in my head. i do not focus on where he is, or what he’s doing, because i don’t care. as long as he’s not near friend’s or family.”