Eric Smith murdered 4-year-old Derrick Robie in Savona, New York in 1993. He was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 9 years to life in prison. The prosecution argued Smith committed a premeditated crime, while the defense claimed he had intermittent explosive disorder. Psychiatrists said Smith had low self-esteem and an inferiority complex. While some debate his parole, most feel he was rightly convicted for his horrific crime.

1. The Horror of a Small
Upstate New York Town
2015
JUVENILEJUSTICERESEARCH PAPER
JD MAC

2. The Horror of a Small Upstate NewYorkTown
Introduction
August 2, 1993 a young boy’s life was taken from him. Derrick Robie was 4 years and 10
months old when he was found lifeless on the edge of a park, in the small Upstate New York
town of Savona. Eric Smith is the one who would be charged and convicted of this heinous act
after confessing to State Police Criminal Investigators. Eric Smith was a thirteen year old boy
who was described as an “updated version of Tom Sawyer” (The New York Times, 1993). The
actions of Smith sent shock waves through this town of 970 people and further helped change the
states Juvenile Laws.
Overview of the Court’s Decision
On August 16, 1994 Eric Smith found out his fate for his actions the year prior. The case
being placed in the hands of the jury, six men and six, women, was deliberated for only seven
hours. Just before 10pm on August 16, 1994 a verdict of guilty was read for the teen-ager who
was tried as an adult. Eric Smith now faced nine years to life imprisonment. "The verdict is not
going to bring Derrick back," Dale Robie said minutes after leaving the courtroom. But he said
he was gratified "that the system is starting to be responsive to these kids' action," (The New
York Times, 1994).
The Prosecution’s Side
During the trial the Steuben County District Attorney, John C. Tunney argued that the
teen’s confession of the murder “was a cold-blooded act that demanded a long prison term.” The
prosecution would remind the twelve jurors multiple times to not be fooled be the defendant’s
age and freckled, Tom Sawyer-like boyishness. The DA would label Smith as a sadist who
“coaxed” the younger boy to his death to fulfill his own personal need to inflict cruelty to

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another being. The prosecution would read the confession in detail, depicting to the jury the
horror that Derrick Robie endured in the final moments of his young, innocent life.
The Defense’s Side
On the other side of the spectrum Eric Smith’s defense lawyer, Kevin Bradley would try
to convince the jury that Smith suffered from a mental disease known as intermittent explosive
disorder. Intermittent Explosive Disorder is defined as “the occurrence of discrete episodes of
failure to resist aggressive impulses that result in serious assaultive acts or destruction of
property” (PsychCentral.com, 2015). Bradley’s main focus to the jury was the testimony from
Dr. Stephen Herman, a child psychiatrist. The defense also never retracted the confession given
by Smith, but approached that the defendant “needed psychiatric help, not punishment.” (The
New York Times, 1994).
In My Opinion
This case is a case of a teen-ager who deserved life in prison. Eric Smith is a cold
blooded murder, who regardless of his own age, took the life of an innocent child who was too
young to defend himself. I feel that our justice system got it right on this case, though the
defendant was only thirteen at the time of the murder and though he may have not been fully
mentally developed, he was at an age that he should have known the difference of right and
wrong. I believe Smith is a danger to society even still today. I look at it as if what if it was a
thirty-five year old man who committed the crime of strangling, murdering, and sodomizing a
four year old? What if the details of the murder of Derrick Robie was done by an adult? These
questions make me feel that the jury came to the right verdict. I feel that if these actions were
done by an adult, we as society would want to lock them up and throw away the key, a life

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sentence. Smith being tried as an adult but sentenced to the maximum of a juvenile, the justice
system also got it right in giving him the opportunity of parole due to his age. Smith being so
young does deserve the opportunity to show he has become a better person, but it does not
change that I do feel that parole should not be granted and since the opportunities of parole have
come about in 2002, he has been denied each time, the most recent being in 2014.
Psychodynamic Theory
In this case I believe that Eric Smith suffers from Inferiority Complex which is a complex
that people who have feelings of inadequacy and compensate for them with a drive for
superiority, such as controlling others. According to the child psychiatrist Dr. Stephen Herman
that was used for the defense’s testimony, Smith fits this complex. “Dr. Herman testified that
Eric, whom he said has an I.Q. in the low-average range, suffered from low self-esteem that
became more pronounced as he grew older. He said the boy's mother had taken an anti-
convulsant medication, trimethedione, while pregnant with him that may have caused physical
and developmental problems.” (The New York Times, 1994). The testimony from Dr. Herman
fits directly in the definition of the inferiority complex and is why I feel that Eric Smith fits this
Psychodynamic Theory. To further emphasize this, DA Tunney stated during the trial in his
closing statements “Turning to the jurors one last time, he said of the defendant: "He intended to
take control and be the victimizer instead of the victim" (The New York Times, 1994
Conclusion
On August 2, 1993 a family’s life was thrown into shambles, the murder of their four
year old son by a monster would forever affect the Robie family. Eric Smith was a thirteen year
who suffered from what seemed to be an inferiority complex and was looking for the perfect

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target to control and reign superior over. Smith’s disgusting actions led to the death of Derrick
Robie and to his what is seemingly turning into a life behind bars. Still to this day it is an
ongoing debate on whether or not to parole Smith but as DA Tunney previously stated "Let's
assume he's not a threat anymore. OK. Should we release him? There's a lot more to talk about.
That is, has he been punished enough?" (CBSNews, 2004). In all honest I feel that no parole and
life imprisonment is the only punishment that is enough for the heinous crime Eric Smith has
committed.

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Citations
Intermittent Explosive Disorder Symptoms. (n.d.). Retrieved March 16, 2015, from
http://psychcentral.com/disorders/intermittent-explosive-disorder-symptoms/
Leung, R. (2004, December 10). Why Did Eric Kill? Retrieved March 16, 2015, from
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/why-did-eric-kill-10-12-2004/
Myers, D. (2007, December 4). Eric Smith: His Case Helped To Change Juvenile Laws.
Retrieved March 16, 2015, from http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/246963
Nordheimer, J. (1994, August 16). 14-Year-Old Convicted in Murder of Preschooler in Upstate
Town. Retrieved March 16, 2015, from
http://www.nytimes.com/1994/08/17/nyregion/14-year-old-convicted-in-murder-of-
preschooler-in-upstate-town.html