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48 Hours on ID is all set to revisit and explore the heart-wrenching case of Eric Smith in its latest episode 22 of Season 18. The episode of 48 Hours on ID will make its arrival exclusively on Investigation Discovery, on Monday, November 7, 2022, at 10:00 PM ET.
The upcoming episode of 48 Hours on ID has been titled, Eric Smith: Gambling on a Killer. Its official synopsis 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."
Eric Smith's chilling story dates back to 1993 when he was convicted of the cold-blooded murder of four-year-old Derrick Robie, an incident that shook the small New York town of Savona.
Since the news of the upcoming episode 22 of 48 Hours on ID Season 18, was dropped by Investigation Discovery, the audience has been quite curious to learn all about the case. Without further ado, let's dig deep to find out all about the terrifying crime committed by Eric Smith.
Learn all about Eric Smith and his heinous crime, ahead of the arrival of 48 Hours on ID Season 18 episode 22
Who is Eric Smith and how did he end up behind bars?
Eric Smith's story begins on August 2, 1993, when he was 13 years old and living in the small town of Steuben County, New York. He was allegedly bullied at school because of his freckles and red hair.
On the day of the terrifying incident, Eric noticed Derrick Robie, a 4-year-old boy from across town, walking alone to a summer camp. Eric enticed the boy to come to a wooded area by falsely promising to show him a shortcut to the park.
When the boy was alone with him in the woods, he mercilessly strangled him before beating him with rocks until he died. He then poured Derrick's Kool-Aid all over his wounds.
Later that day, Derrick's parents reported him missing. A few hours later, investigators allegedly discovered Derrick's horribly injured body in the woods, just yards from where he was supposed to be.
Later, a Smiths family friend named Marlene Heskell became suspicious of Eric's behavior. Heskell then called Eric's mother, and the two of them drove him to the police station to meet with the investigators. Eric initially denied everything but eventually admitted to his sinister crime.
Eric was 14 years old when he was sentenced to nine years in prison in the month of August 1994. He was held in a juvenile detention center until he turned 21 and was transferred to a prison.
Eric's parole was granted in October 2021, after 27 years behind bars and numerous denials. His official release, however, occurred in February 2022, when he was 42 years old. During one of his plea trials for parole, Eric Smith said:
"I'm not a threat, 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. I would definitely be an asset to society." (Source: CBS News)
Eric Smith, 42, is now a free man living in Queens, New York, after his parole was granted in October 2021.
Don't miss episode 22 of 48 Hours on ID Season 18 on Monday, November 7, 2022, at 10:00 PM ET, only on Investigation Discovery.
