Child Murderer

Eric Smith was only 13 years old when he brutally tortured, raped, and murdered 4-year-old Derrick Robie, in 1994. Eric had no history of violent behavior and he had only seen the victim once before in his life. Eric was convicted of murder and spent 27 years in prison. He was denied parole 10 times before finally being released in 2022. When you examine Eric Smith’s history before he committed the crime, is it possible to identify precursors to his seemingly random act of violence? Specifically, were there biological and/or environmental factors that influenced his actions on that fateful day? More generally, is it possible to predict criminal violence based on biological and/or environmental factors, and if so, are there interventions that can help mitigate future acts of violence?

Review the Learning Resources for this Discussion, paying special attention to those addressing the Eric Smith case.

Based on your understanding of the Eric Smith case and focusing on the trial evidence, consider the factors that may have led to his committing the crime.

Based on the first initial of your last name, focus on the set of factors related to the case as follows:

N–Z: Environmental factors

Explain which environmental factors influenced Eric’s criminal behavior. Support your explanations with at least two examples from the literature you reviewed.

Note: Your posts should be substantial (500 words minimum), supported with scholarly evidence from your research and/or the Learning Resources, and properly cited using APA Style. Personal anecdotes are acceptable as part of a meaningful post but cannot stand alone as the entire post.

A slain boy’s family is speaking out following the news that a New York man who went to prison at just 14 years old has been released on parole.

CBS News reports that Eric Smith, who was convicted in 1994 of killing Derrick Robie, 4, was released from the Woodbourne Correctional Facility last month.

Smith lived in the Village of Savon, in the same small upstate New York village as the Robie family. Smith spotted Derrick playing alone on August 2, 1993, as he was walking home from a park.

Tired of being bullied at school, Smith took his frustrations out on the 4-year-old, leaving him beaten, strangled, and sexually abused. Police found the child’s body in a nearby secluded area.

Once a national manhunt for the killer ensued, Smith admitted to what he had done. Smith claimed he was in a bad mood on the day of the murder, since he rode his bike to a recreation program, only to find out the center had not opened yet.

According to the Democrat & Chronicle, Smith now lives in New York with a fiancee he met through prison letters. Smith said he has changed during his prison time and no longer recognizes his former self.

Derrick’s parents, Doreen and Dale Robie, who have been fighting Smith’s release each time he was eligible for parole, said they won’t allow him to live in their minds anymore.

I don’t let him take space in my head,” Doreen Robie. said. “I do not focus on where he is, what he’s doing. … ‘cause I don’t care. As long as he’s not near friends and family.”

It took 11 parole hearings before the board released Smith. The release came after Smith said during his latest hearing that he is a changed man who wouldn’t be a threat to society.

“The 13-year-old kid that took [Derrick’s] life… is not the man sitting in front of you talking … if you were to give me the chance, I would not only prove that I’m not a threat,” Smith said during an October 2021 parole hearing. I would definitely be an asset to society.”

“I became the bully that I disliked in my life.”

Smith isn’t allowed to leave New York state without permission, under the guidelines of his parole release. He must also regularly contact his parole officer and refrain from contacting anyone engaged in illegal activities.

Smith said he has certificates in carpentry fabrication and electrical installation and will likely find work in one of those fields.