Eric Smith, Age 13: The 1993 Killing of 4-Year-Old Derrick Robie in Savona, New York

Strange Case Files
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llustrated sketch of Derrick Robie as a young child holding a fish outdoors. — Illustrated recreation of Derrick Robie based on archival photographs.

A Summer Morning in Savona

Savona, New York, is a small village in Steuben County where routines are familiar and distances are short. On the morning of August 2, 1993, four-year-old Derrick Robie left his home to walk to a nearby summer day camp.

It was a short walk. One he had made before.

But that morning, Derrick never arrived.

At first, it seemed possible he had simply wandered off or stopped somewhere along the way. But as minutes turned into hours, concern grew. Family members began searching. Neighbors joined in. Police were called.

By later that day, Derrick was found in a wooded area not far from where he had been walking.

The discovery stunned the community. But what investigators would learn next was even more difficult to comprehend.

A Suspect No One Expected

Attention soon turned to Eric Smith, a 13-year-old who lived nearby.

Witnesses had seen him in the area that morning. When questioned, parts of his story did not line up. Investigators continued speaking with him, and eventually, he admitted to leading Derrick into the woods.

The case quickly drew national attention, not only because of what had happened, but because of who had done it.

The person responsible was not an adult. He was a middle school student.

Illustrated sketch close-up of Eric Smith at age 13 during court proceedings. — Illustrated recreation of Eric Smith during the investigation and trial, based on archival photographs.

Eric Smith’s Background

During the trial, testimony provided some insight into Eric Smith’s life before the crime.

Witnesses described how he had been bullied at school, often because of his appearance and social difficulties. This was presented by the defense as part of a broader picture of isolation and emotional struggles.

There was also testimony describing a troubled home environment, although reports differ on the details and the court proceedings did not establish a single clear narrative about conditions inside the home.

Prosecutors, meanwhile, referenced prior incidents in which Smith had reportedly harmed animals, presenting these claims to argue patterns of behavior. These accounts were mentioned in court but were not central to the legal determination of guilt.

For many observers, these details did not provide answers so much as deepen the sense of unease. They showed pieces of a childhood, but not a clear explanation.

Illustrated sketch of Eric Smith at age 13 sitting in a courtroom during the trial. — Illustrated recreation of Eric Smith during the investigation and trial, based on archival photographs.

What Investigators Determined

As the investigation unfolded, Eric Smith eventually confessed to leading Derrick Robie into a wooded area not far from the road.

At trial, medical testimony established that Derrick died from a combination of strangulation and severe head injuries. Prosecutors presented evidence that Smith had struck him with a rock after luring him away. These findings were supported by forensic evidence and Smith’s own statements to investigators.

For many in Savona, the hardest part to comprehend was not only what had happened, but who had done it. The distance between the two boys’ ages was less than ten years. One was just beginning childhood. The other was still in it.

The Trial

Eric Smith was charged with second-degree murder and tried in Steuben County in 1994.

The trial drew widespread attention across the country. Prosecutors argued that Smith understood what he was doing and acted deliberately. The defense focused on his age, his background, and the emotional and social struggles described during testimony.

After deliberation, the jury found him guilty.

He was sentenced to nine years to life in prison, the maximum sentence allowed under New York law for a juvenile convicted of murder at that time.

Years in Prison

Over the years that followed, Eric Smith appeared before the parole board multiple times. Each time, parole was denied.

For Derrick Robie’s family, the case never faded into the past. Every hearing brought it back into the present again, reopening the same loss and the same memories.

Years turned into decades.

Parole and Release

In October 2021, after nearly 28 years in prison, the parole board voted to grant Eric Smith release. The decision was controversial and painful for many, especially Derrick Robie’s family, who spoke publicly about their opposition.

By then, he was in his forties. Older than his parents had been when the crime happened.

Eric Smith was released on parole in February 2022 and continues to live in New York State under supervision. Officials have not publicly disclosed his exact location.

Illustrated sketch showing Eric Smith as a teenager and later in adulthood. — Illustrated recreation of Eric Smith in later years, based on archival photographs.

Why This Case Still Feels Unsettling

Some cases stay with people because of the mystery. Others because of the violence.

This one stays with people because of the questions it leaves behind.

How does something like this happen in the middle of a quiet village, on an ordinary summer morning? What does justice mean when the person responsible was only thirteen years old? And how do families carry something like this for the rest of their lives?

Those questions never really go away.

Illustrated sketch portrait of Derrick Robie smiling as a child wearing a headband. — Illustrated recreation of Derrick Robie based on archival photographs.

Ending

Derrick Robie was four years old. Eric Smith was thirteen.

More than thirty years later, the facts of the case are still clear. But the meaning of it, and what justice should look like in a case like this, is something people are still trying to understand.