'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAGAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQH/8QAFQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAX/2gAMAwEAAhADEAAAAJtaBTf/xAAeEAACAQQDAQAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgMABREhBBIxMv/aAAgBAQABPwCx3kcdrSJXmdePcY5TF10dbbtn6JencK7Ljw4r/8QAFxEAAwEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEDEf/aAAgBAgEBPwCqw//EABgRAQADAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEAAgQR/9oACAEDAQE/ANFlTs//2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Eric Smith, a 42-year-old man from Steuben County, New York, was arrested and convicted in 1993 for the inhuman murder of 4-year-old Derrick Robie. Smith was only a teen at the time. His chilling story is now all set to be depicted and investigated in the upcoming episode 22 of 48 Hours on ID Season 18.
The official title of the latest 48 Hours on ID is Eric Smith: Gambling on a Killer. The official synopsis for the episode reads:
"Eric Smith spent 28 years behind bars for the 1993 murder of 4-year-old Derrick Robie; he was released from prison in February 2022; Jim Axelrod reports on whether he is a changed man."
Without further delay, let's jump right in to learn about the five pivotal facts about Eric Smith before episode 22 of the true-crime series' Season 18, airs on Investigation Discovery.
Learn 5 significant details about Eric Smith, ahead of the brand new 48 Hours on ID episode's arrival on Investigation Discovery
Who is Eric Smith?
Eric's life was changed by a terrifying series of events that began in August 2013. Smith was a 13-year-old teenager living in the small town of Steuben County, New York at the time.
Smith is 42 years old right now. His fiancee is a law student. Smith is said to want to marry and start a family. During one of his plea trials, he stated:
"I want to, you know, get married and raise a family. You know, hold down, you know, a job. Pursue the American dream." (Via CBS News)
What did Eric do?
Eric, then 13, brutally tortured and murdered Derrick Robie, a four-year-old boy from the same town, on August 2, 1993. Eric initially duped Derrick into following him into the woods, where he strangled and bludgeoned the boy to death.
Police discovered the boy's beaten-up body in the forest after his mother and father filed a missing person report for him, shocking the entire small town of Steuben County, New York.
What happened after the horrifying incident?
After the terrifying incident, Eric Smith was taken to the case investigators by his mother and a family friend, where he admitted to his heinous crime.
Smith was sentenced to nine years in prison by the court in August 1994. He was taken to a juvenile detention center and later transferred to jail when he was 21 years old.
Why did Eric commit the monstrous crime?
According to reports, Eric committed the crime because he was fed up with the bullying he was subjected to. He had freckles and red hair and was frequently picked on by other teenagers at school.
He was angry towards those boys even when he killed Derrick Robie. Speaking about it, he told CBS News:
"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 was what I saw in my head."
Where is Eric now?
After his release from prison after 28 years, Eric moved to Queens, New York, where he is currently residing. He expressed remorse and regret during his plea trials in court, and said:
"I did kill Derrick,...And for that, you know, 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" (Source: CBS News)
Don't forget to catch episode 22 of 48 Hours on ID Season 18 titled, Eric Smith: Gambling on a Killer, debuting exclusively on Investigation Discovery, this Monday, November 7, 2022, at 10:00 PM ET.
