July 30, 2026

Eric Smith When a Child Becomes the Monster_mixdown

Eric Smith When a Child Becomes the Monster_mixdown
Eric Smith When a Child Becomes the Monster_mixdown
Among Monsters Podcast | Chilling True Crime
Eric Smith When a Child Becomes the Monster_mixdown
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When four-year-old Derrick Robie disappeared on what should have been a short walk to summer camp in the quiet village of Savona, New York, no one imagined the truth. The person responsible wasn't a stranger or a hardened criminal—it was a 13-year-old boy named Eric Smith.In this episode of Among Monsters, Myia examines one of the most disturbing juvenile murder cases in American history. Through documented facts, court records, and investigative reporting, we explore the tragic loss of Derrick Robie, Eric Smith's troubled childhood, the investigation that stunned the nation, his controversial trial, nearly three decades behind bars, and the debate surrounding his eventual release. Above all, this episode remembers the innocent life that was taken and asks the difficult questions about childhood violence, accountability, and whether redemption is ever truly possible after an unimaginable crime.
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There are certain crimes that seem to break every rule

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we believe about humanity. We expect monsters to hide in

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the shadows, to be older, to have lived long enough

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for cruelty to harden into something permanent. We tell ourselves

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that evil has a face that we would recognize it

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if we ever saw it. But sometimes the face staring

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back isn't that of a hardened criminal.

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It's a child.

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August second, nineteen ninety three, Savannah, New York, a quiet

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village where neighbors knew one another, children rode bicycles through

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the streets, and parents rarely worried about letting their kids

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walk to the local summer camp. It was the kind

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of place where everyone believed tragedy happened somewhere else, until

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one little boy disappeared. Four year old Derek Roby had

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left home on a warm summer morning with one simple

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mission walk to camp, a walk of only a few minutes,

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a walk he'd made before, a walk he'd never finished.

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By that afternoon, an entire community had begun searching. Neighbors,

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spread through fields, police combed wooded trails, parents called out

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his name. Hours later, their search ended in heartbreak. Hidden

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in a wooded area near a park, investigators discovered Derek's body.

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The brutality of what had happened stunned even seasoned detectives.

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Who could possibly do something so unimaginably violent to a

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four year old child. The theories came quickly, A drifter,

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a predator, someone passing through town. No one imagined the truth.

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The person respondsible wasn't a stranger, he wasn't an adult.

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He wasn't even old enough to drive. He was thirteen.

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His name Eric Smith. One child had killed another, and

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in the days that followed, America found itself asking a

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question that has never truly been answered. How does a

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child become capable of murder? Was Eric smithborn violent? The

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years of relentless bullying, isolation, and emotional turmoil help shape

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what happened that summer morning? Or are there simply some

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acts that can never be explained? Tonight we examine one

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of the most disturbing juvenile murder cases in American history,

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a story that still sparks debate more than three decades later,

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A story about innocence, violence, justice, and whether redemption is

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ever possible after an unimaginable crime. This is among monsters

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Welcome back to Among Monsters, I'm Maya. Every episode of

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this podcast explores real crimes through documented facts, historical records,

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court proceedings, and investigative reporting. Our purpose is never to

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sensationalize violence or glorify those responsible. Instead, we seek to understand,

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to remember the victims, to ask difficult questions that often

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have no easy answers. Tonight's story is one of those cases.

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It is impossible to discuss Eric Smith without first acknowledging

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the little boy whose life was stolen. Derek Roby was

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only four years old. He loved dinosaurs, He enjoyed spending

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time with his family. Like countless children his age, he

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looked forward to ordinary summer adventures that most people take

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for granted. His life had barely begun. Everything that follows

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should be remembered through that truth, because before his became

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a headline, before television crews crowded into Savannah, before psychologists

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debated juvenile violence, there was simply a family waiting for

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their little boy to come home, and he never did.

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As difficult as the story is, understanding it requires looking

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beyond a single terrible day. It requires stepping back into

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the small village where both boys lived a place where

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everyone knew everyone, where lives regularly crossed paths, where no

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one imagined one child would become responsible for taking another

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child's life. Savannah, New York, sits among rolling hills in

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Steuben County. In nineteen ninety three, only a few hundred

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people called the village home. The pace of life was slow.

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Children played outside, Neighbors waved from front porches. Parents felt

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comfortable allowing young kids to walk short distances during daylight hours.

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It was exactly the sort of community people describe as safe,

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which is why August second, nineteen ninety three, became a

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date that no one there would ever forget. That Monday

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morning began like so many others, the weather was warm,

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summer vacation was still underway. Children across town were heading

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to playgrounds, camps, and neighborhood activities. Among them was four

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year old Derek Roby. His destination was simple, a local

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summer program. It was only a short walk from home.

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His mother watched as he headed out. There was no

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reason to think anything unusual would happen, no reason to

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believe those few minutes would become one of the most

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heartbreaking walks in New York's criminal history. But someone else

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had already noticed Derek, someone older, someone struggling with anger,

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that few people truly understood, someone who would make a

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decision that forever changed countless lives. That someone was Eric Smith.

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And to understand what happened next, we first have to

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understand the boy behind the headlines. Not to excuse him,

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not to justify him, but because sometimes the path to

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becoming a monster begins long before anyone notices the warning signs.

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Sometimes when investigators look back after a tragedy, they discover

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warning signs that everyone missed. Other times, the warning signs

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weren't missed at all. People simply don't know what.

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To do with them. Eric M.

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Smith was born on January twenty second, nineteen eighty in

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Steuben County, New York. By most accounts, his early life

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wasn't defined by physical abuse or extreme neglect. He lived

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with his parents and siblings in what appeared to be

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an ordinary working class home, but appearances rarely.

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Tell the entire story.

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From an early age, Eric stood out from the other children.

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He had bright red hair, freckles covered much of his face.

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He wore thick glasses. Perhaps most noticeably, he had ears

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that protruded significantly, something that unfortunately became an easy target

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for cruel classmates. Children can be incredibly accepting, but they

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can also be incredibly cruel. School became a place where

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Eric was teased, mocked, and isolated. Classmates later described him

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as someone who was frequently picked on. He struggled socially

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and often found it difficult to make friends. Bullying doesn't

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affect every child the same way. Some grow more resilient,

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others withdraw into themselves. For Eric, those experiences appeared to

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fuel and anger that continued to build. Teachers and adults

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notice concerning behaviors. Reports later described episodes where Eric displayed

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difficulty controlling his emotions. He could become angry quickly. He

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sometimes reacted aggressively when frustrated. Looking back after the murder,

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those behaviors took on new significance, but at the time

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they were viewed as the struggles of a troubled adolescent.

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No one believed they were seeing the early signs of

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a future killer. Eric also experienced emotional challenges that would

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later become central to his defense during trial. Mental health

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experts who evaluated him after the murder offered differing opinions.

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About his emotional development, impulse control, and psychological state. Some

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described him as emotionally immature, others believed he understood right

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from wrong despite his difficulties. Those conflicting opinions would eventually

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become one of the most important battles inside the courtroom.

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But in the summer of nineteen ninety three, none of

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that had happened yet. Eric was simply another thirteen year

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old spending his summer vacation. At least that's how it appeared.

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Behind the scenes. However, people who knew him noticed that

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his anger seemed to simmer just beneath the surface. He

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had been involved in incidents involving younger children before, nothing

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remotely approaching murder, but enough that some adults later remembered

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feeling uneasy. Hindsight has a way of making every unusual

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moment seem inevitable. Reality is rarely that simple. Thousands of

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children struggle with bullying, thousands of battle loneliness, thousands wrestle

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with emotional problems. Almost none go on to commit murder,

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which is why this case continues to challenge psychologists even today.

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There is no single explanation, no easy answer, no checklist

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that predicts violence. With certainty, only a complicated mixture of

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personality involvement, emotional development choices, and one irreversible decision. While

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Eric wrestled with his own inner world, another family was

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simply enjoying what should have been an ordinary summer day.

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The Roby family had every reason to believe August second

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would be uneventful. Four year old Derek Roby was excited

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about going to the local summer recreation program. He was energetic, curious.

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Like many preschool aged children, he was beginning to experience

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small moments of independence. Walking a short distance to camp

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was part of that growing confidence. Savannah was the kind

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of community where parents often knew the adults watching neighborhood children.

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People looked out.

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From one another. Danger didn't seem close. Derek left home

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that morning wearing a bright smile. His walk should have

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taken only a matter of minutes. Instead, he crossed paths

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with Eric Smith. Exactly what was said between the two

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boys has never been fully known. Investigators later determined that

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Eric persuaded Derek to leave the path and follow him

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toward a wooded area near the park. There were no

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witnesses who heard the conversation, no recording, no one to

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explain precisely why Derek trusted the older boy. Perhaps it

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was because Eric was older, perhaps because children often assume

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other children are safe. Whatever the reason, Derek followed. The

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decision lasted only moments. Its consequences would later last forever.

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As the morning passed, concerns slowly replaced routine. Derek failed

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to arrive where he was expected. Adult began asking questions.

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Had someone seen him? Did he change his mind? Was

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he visiting a friend? At first, there was hope. Children

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occasionally wandered off. Sometimes they became distracted by playgrounds or neighbors.

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Most missing children in small towns are found quickly, But

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as time continued passing, hope gave way to fear. Family

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members searched nearby streets. Neighbors joined in, Police were notified.

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Soon volunteers spread throughout Savannah, looking under porches, through parts,

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across open fields, and along wooded trails. No one imagined

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how close they were to discovering the truth. And while

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that search unfolded, Eric Smith quietly returned to the community.

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He blended back into everyday life. He spoke with people,

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he watched events unfold around him. According to investigators, even

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interacting with members of the search effort. No one suspected

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the thirteen year old standing among them, not yet, because

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the idea seemed impossible. A child couldn't have done something

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like this, could he. Sadly, they were about.

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To learn otherwise.

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As the afternoon war on, the atmosphere in Savannah began

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to change. The optimism that usually accompanies the first hours

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of a missing child's search slowly disappeared. Parents who had

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been calling Derek's name with hopeful determination found themselves growing quieter.

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Police officers widen their search area, Neighbors pushed through brush

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and tall grass. Every passing minute made the silence feel heavier.

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In small towns, time moves differently during a crisis. People

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stop what they're doing. Businesses pause, churches begin praying. Entire

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neighborhoods unite around a single hope, bring the child home.

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For Derreck Roby's family, every knock at the door carried

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the possibility of good news. Maybe someone had found him

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playing in a yard, Maybe he had wandered farther than expected,

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Maybe there had simply been a misunderstanding. Those hopes would

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not survive the afternoon. Searchers eventually entered a wooded area

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not far from the park. It wasn't deep wilderness. It

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was a place children might explore during the summer, a

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place that only hours earlier had seemed completely ordinary. Then

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someone saw something no one ever wants to find. There

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Hidden among the trees was Dereck Roby. The little boy

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who had left home that morning full of excitement had

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been found, but not Alie. The discovery instantly transformed the investigation.

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This was no longer a missing person's case. It was

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a homicide. Officers immediately secured the area. Investigators began documenting

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everything they could see, every footprint, every disturbed branch, every

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possible piece of evidence. Experienced detectives understood something immediately. This

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attack had been extraordinarily violent. The scenes suggested intense anger.

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It was difficult to reconcile with what many imagined when

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they thought of a child victim. Questions came faster than answers.

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Who would do this?

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Why Derek? Was this a targeted attack? Or had he

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simply encountered the wrong person at the wrong time. As

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words spread through Savannah, grief turned into disbelief. Parents hurried

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to gather their own children. Neighbors cried openly. People who

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had searched together only moments earlier. Now struggled to process

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what had happened. The murder of a four year old

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shattered the sense of safety that defined the community. Nothing

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would ever feel quite the same again. Investigators work quickly

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because the crime had occurred in daylight. They believed someone

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might have seen something unusual. Officers interviewed residents. They spoke

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with children who had been outside that morning. They retraced

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Lyric's expected route. Every conversation mattered, every observation could become

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the missing piece. Initially, suspicion naturally focused on adults.

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That was the assumption.

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Most people believed the person responsible would be an adult, stranger,

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someone passing through town, or someone who had escaped notice.

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Few detectives seriously considered that another child could have committed

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such a brutal crime. Then a name began appearing in conversations,

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Eric Smith, not because someone had witnessed the murder, but

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because several people remembered seeing him near the area around

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the time Derek disappeared. Others recalled conversations Eric had after

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the search began. Some of those conversations struck people as unusual.

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Nothing alone proved guilt, but together they drew investigators attention.

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Police decided they needed to speak with the thirteen year old.

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When investigators first questioned Eric, he appeared cooperative. He answered questions,

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he described where he had been, He denied any involvement.

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At first glance, there seemed to be a little reason

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to think otherwise, but seasoned investigators often pay attention to

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more than words. They noticed hesitation, changes in tone, body language,

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details that don't quite fix. As the interview continued, detectives

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began noticing inconsistencies. Certain parts of Eric's account shifted. Some

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explanations no longer matched what other witnesses had reported. That

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didn't adit ramatically make him guilty. People misremember events all

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the time, especially children, But enough inconsistencies emerged that investigators

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continued pressing for clarification. Outside the interview room, forensic evidence

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was also beginning to tell its own story. Physical evidence

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connected Eric to the area where Derek's body had been found.

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Combined with witness accounts, the case against him became increasingly

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difficult to ignore. For investigators, the unimaginable possibility was becoming reality.

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Their prime suspect was thirteen years old. Eventually, under questioning

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Eric admitted his involvement. He acknowledged leading Derek into the

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wooded area. He admitted he had caused the little boy's

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death four detectives. The confession answered the question of who,

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but it raised an even more disturbing question why Eric

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struggled to fully explain his actions. There was no long

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standing feud, no personal conflict between the boys, no evidence

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that Derek had done anything to provoke the attack. Investigators

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concluded that Derek had simply crossed paths with Eric at

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the worst possible moment, a random encounter, a random victim.

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That realization devastated the community even further. There had been

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no warning, no opportunity for Derek or his family to

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avoid what happened. It was an act that seemed almost

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impossible to understand. News spread quickly across New York. Soon

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national media arrived. Television trucks line quiet streets. Reporters interviewed neighbors.

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Experts appeared on news programs asking how a thirteen year

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old could commit murder. Parents across America watched with disbelief.

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Many found themselves asking difficult questions. Could their own children

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recognize warning signs? Could something similar happen in another small

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town were schools missing children who desperately needed help. The

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case quickly became larger than Savannah. It became part of

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the national conversation about juvenile violence, mental health, bullying, and

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criminal responsibility. Yet for the Roby family, none of those

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debates could change the reality they faced. A four year

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old little boy was gone. No courtroom, no prison sentence,

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no television interview could ever restore what had been taken

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from them. And as Eric Smith prepared to face the

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justice system, another unprecedented question emerged. Should a thirteen year

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old be tried as an adult. That decision would shape

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not only Eric's future, but also how America viewed one

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of the youngest convicted murders in modern history. The days

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following Eric Smith's arrest left the village of Savanna suspended

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between grief and disbelief. Everywhere people gathered churches, grocery stores,

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front porches. The conversations were the same, How could a

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child do this? No one had an answer. The photographs

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shown on television only deepened the confusion. On one screen,

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there was Derek Roby, a smiling four year old whose

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entire life still lie ahead of him. On the next,

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there was Eric Smith just thirteen years old, red haired, freckled,

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wearing oversized glasses. He looked like someone who should have

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00:20:20.799 --> 00:20:24.799
been worrying about homework or baseball practice, not someone accused

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of murder. It challenged everything people believed they knew about childhood.

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Because adults often find comfort in believing that evil has

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a predictable appearance, this case shattered that illusion. New York

287
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prosecutors faced a decision. Unlike most criminal cases, Eric Smith

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was legally a child, but he had been accused of

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intentionally taking another child's life. Ultimately, prosecutors chose to try

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00:20:51.200 --> 00:20:54.160
him as an adult. It was a decision that sparked

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debate throughout the country. Some believed it was the only

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appropriate response to such a series crime. Others argued that

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no thirteen year old possesses the emotional maturity of an adult,

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regardless of the offense. Those questions remained controversial even today,

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But in nineteen ninety four, the case moved forward. Inside

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the courtroom, every seat was filled, Reporters crowded the gallery.

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The nation watched closely. This wasn't simply a murder trial.

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It had become a test of how the justice system

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should respond when the accused is barely a teenager. From

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the very beginning, the prosecution and the defense presented two

301
00:21:34.880 --> 00:21:38.839
very different versions of Eric Smith. The prosecution argued that

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00:21:39.079 --> 00:21:42.559
Eric understood exactly what he was doing. They pointed to

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his actions before, during, and after the murder. They argued

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00:21:47.079 --> 00:21:50.480
that he intentionally led Derek away from others, that he

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knew his actions were wrong, and that afterward he attempted

306
00:21:54.920 --> 00:21:59.680
to distance himself from suspicion. Two prosecutors, those were not

307
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the end actions of someone incapable of understanding reality. They

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00:22:03.839 --> 00:22:07.559
were the actions of someone making conscious choices. The defense

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00:22:07.680 --> 00:22:11.319
did not deny that Eric had caused Derek's death. Instead,

310
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they focused on why. Defense attorneys described a boy who

311
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had endured years of relentless bullying, a boy who struggled socially,

312
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a boy carrying a profound emotional pain. Mental health experts

313
00:22:25.079 --> 00:22:31.160
testified about Eric's psychological condition, emotional development, and behavioral problems.

314
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Some believe his emotional struggles significantly affected his judgment. The

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00:22:36.039 --> 00:22:39.759
defense argued that those issues contributed to what happened that

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August morning. They asked jurs to see more than the

317
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crime itself, to see a deeply troubled child. Not a

318
00:22:47.200 --> 00:22:51.599
calculating killer. But prosecutors reminded the jury of another child,

319
00:22:52.119 --> 00:22:57.000
Derek Roby, four years old, unable to defend himself, unable

320
00:22:57.039 --> 00:23:01.279
to tell his own story. After hearing testimony from investigators,

321
00:23:01.400 --> 00:23:06.799
forensic experts, psychologists, and witnesses, the responsibility.

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Fell to twelve jurors.

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They listened, they deliberated, then they returned. The courtroom became silent.

324
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Eric Smith was found guilty of second degree murder. The

325
00:23:17.200 --> 00:23:22.079
jury rejected the insanity defense. In their view, Eric understood

326
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the nature and consequences of his actions. It was a

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verdict that echoed far beyond Steuben County. For some justice

328
00:23:29.680 --> 00:23:34.240
had been served. For others, the verdict represented another tragedy,

329
00:23:34.599 --> 00:23:38.359
a deeply troubled thirteen year old sentenced to spend much

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of his life behind bars. Both realities could exist at

331
00:23:42.799 --> 00:23:46.680
the same time. One child's life had ended forever. Another

332
00:23:46.799 --> 00:23:51.359
child's future had also changed forever. Neither family would ever

333
00:23:51.440 --> 00:23:54.559
be the same again. When the time came for sentencing,

334
00:23:54.799 --> 00:23:59.119
the judge faced another extraordinary responsibility. How do you sentence

335
00:23:59.160 --> 00:24:02.519
someone who is both a murderer and a child. The

336
00:24:02.559 --> 00:24:06.200
sentence imposed was nine years to life in prison. It

337
00:24:06.240 --> 00:24:09.960
meant Eric would become eligible for parole after serving a

338
00:24:09.960 --> 00:24:13.400
minimum term, but it offered no guarantee of release.

339
00:24:13.880 --> 00:24:14.880
His future would.

340
00:24:14.759 --> 00:24:19.319
Ultimately depend upon parole boards evaluating whether he remained a

341
00:24:19.440 --> 00:24:23.359
danger to society. For Derek's family, no sentence could ever

342
00:24:23.400 --> 00:24:26.839
feel long enough. Nothing could return birthdays that would never

343
00:24:26.880 --> 00:24:31.599
be celebrated, school graduations that would never happen, a first job,

344
00:24:32.160 --> 00:24:35.440
a wedding, children of his own. Those moments had been

345
00:24:35.519 --> 00:24:39.519
stolen forever. Eric entered the correctional system as a teenager.

346
00:24:40.000 --> 00:24:44.680
Unlike most adolescents, he would spend his formative years inside

347
00:24:44.720 --> 00:24:50.480
secure facilities rather than classrooms, football fields, or family gatherings.

348
00:24:50.519 --> 00:24:55.279
His childhood effectively ended inside prison walls, as required under

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New York law. He was initially housed in facilities appropriate

350
00:25:00.319 --> 00:25:04.839
for juvenile offenders. Later, after turning twenty one, he was

351
00:25:04.880 --> 00:25:09.400
transferred to an adult correctional facility. Years past, the outside

352
00:25:09.400 --> 00:25:14.480
world changed dramatically. The Internet transformed daily life, cell phones

353
00:25:14.559 --> 00:25:20.680
became common. Entire generations grew up. Meanwhile, Eric Smith remained incarcerated.

354
00:25:20.960 --> 00:25:27.200
He attended educational programs, participated in counseling, worked prison jobs.

355
00:25:27.440 --> 00:25:31.920
According to correctional records discussed during later parole hearings. He

356
00:25:32.039 --> 00:25:36.920
generally maintained a clean disciplinary history for many years and

357
00:25:36.960 --> 00:25:43.279
completed numerous rehabilitation programs. Whether those efforts reflected genuine change

358
00:25:43.599 --> 00:25:48.079
or simply good institutional behavior would become the central question,

359
00:25:48.279 --> 00:25:52.599
repeated again and again before parole boards. Although media coverage

360
00:25:52.640 --> 00:25:57.279
eventually slowed, the case itself never completely disappeared. Each time

361
00:25:57.440 --> 00:26:02.119
Eric became eligible for parole, headlined to returned families, remembered,

362
00:26:02.519 --> 00:26:07.640
journalists revisited the crime, and one question resurface every few years,

363
00:26:07.920 --> 00:26:11.759
should Eric Smith ever be released? For some people, the

364
00:26:11.839 --> 00:26:16.319
answer was simple no. They believe certain crimes permanently forfeit

365
00:26:16.359 --> 00:26:20.039
the privilege of freedom. Others believed the justice system must

366
00:26:20.079 --> 00:26:25.119
also leave room for rehabilitation, even in the most difficult cases,

367
00:26:25.559 --> 00:26:28.440
especially when the offender committed the crime as a child.

368
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It is one of the hardest ethical questions in criminal justice,

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00:26:32.960 --> 00:26:37.039
one that has no universally accepted answer. Over the next

370
00:26:37.039 --> 00:26:41.240
two decades, that debate would play out repeatedly, because every

371
00:26:41.279 --> 00:26:44.480
two years, Eric Smith would once again stand before a

372
00:26:44.519 --> 00:26:47.799
parole board, and every two years they would ask him

373
00:26:47.799 --> 00:26:51.400
the same question as he truly changed. Time has a

374
00:26:51.440 --> 00:26:56.559
way of changing almost everything. Children become adults, parents become grandparents,

375
00:26:56.920 --> 00:27:02.039
neighborhoods evolve, Technology trans forms the way we live. But

376
00:27:02.160 --> 00:27:05.319
for families who have lost someone to violence, time doesn't

377
00:27:05.359 --> 00:27:08.960
erase the loss. It simply teaches them how to carry it.

378
00:27:09.319 --> 00:27:13.039
For the Roby family, every passing year meant another birthday.

379
00:27:13.039 --> 00:27:17.160
Derek would never celebrate another Christmas with an empty chair,

380
00:27:17.880 --> 00:27:21.319
another reminder of a future that had been stolen. For

381
00:27:21.599 --> 00:27:25.279
Eric Smith, time looked very different. It was measured in

382
00:27:25.319 --> 00:27:30.680
prison counts, locked doors, scheduled meals, in years that blended

383
00:27:30.680 --> 00:27:35.519
together behind concrete walls. Most teenagers learn life's lessons through

384
00:27:35.640 --> 00:27:43.400
school friendships, first jobs, driver's licenses, and graduation ceremonies. Eric's

385
00:27:43.440 --> 00:27:49.799
classroom became a correctional facility. His teachers were counselors, correctional officers,

386
00:27:50.079 --> 00:27:54.559
and prison staff. He entered prison as a thirteen year

387
00:27:54.559 --> 00:27:59.000
old boy. As the years passed, his voice changed, he

388
00:27:59.079 --> 00:28:03.920
became an adult. His appearance matured. The world outside kept moving.

389
00:28:04.480 --> 00:28:11.960
Inside prison life followed routines, wake up count breakfast programs,

390
00:28:12.640 --> 00:28:20.400
work assignments, more counts, lights out, repeat day after day,

391
00:28:21.400 --> 00:28:27.200
month after month, year after year. For someone sentenced so young,

392
00:28:27.599 --> 00:28:31.759
prison wasn't just punishment, it became the place where nearly

393
00:28:31.880 --> 00:28:36.480
every part of adulthood unfolded. According to the records later

394
00:28:36.559 --> 00:28:42.240
discussed during parole proceedings, Eric participated in educational opportunities in

395
00:28:42.319 --> 00:28:49.359
therapeutic programs while incarcerated. He completed anchor management classes, behavioral counseling,

396
00:28:49.920 --> 00:28:55.599
vocational training, other rehabilitative programs designed to prepare inmates for

397
00:28:55.720 --> 00:29:01.839
eventual release. Correctional officials also noted that he generally maintained

398
00:29:01.839 --> 00:29:06.440
a strong institutional record over many years. No prison is

399
00:29:06.519 --> 00:29:11.799
a perfect environment, arguments happen. Tension exists. Yet by the

400
00:29:11.839 --> 00:29:15.920
time Eric had spent decades behind bars, he had accumulated

401
00:29:16.039 --> 00:29:21.440
a lengthy period without serious disciplinary problems. Supporters pointed to

402
00:29:21.480 --> 00:29:26.440
those accomplishments as evidence of genuine personal growth. Critics viewed

403
00:29:26.480 --> 00:29:32.519
them differently. Good behavior inside prison, they argued, doesn't necessarily

404
00:29:32.599 --> 00:29:37.640
predict good behavior outside prison. Those opposing views would become

405
00:29:37.880 --> 00:29:42.160
central every time Eric appeared before the parole board. In

406
00:29:42.160 --> 00:29:46.279
two thousand and two, Eric Smith became eligible to seek parole.

407
00:29:46.799 --> 00:29:49.960
Nearly a decade had passed since the murder. He was

408
00:29:50.039 --> 00:29:53.319
no longer the frightened thirteen year old scene in courtroom

409
00:29:53.359 --> 00:29:58.559
photographs now he was an adult. The Parole Board reviewed

410
00:29:58.559 --> 00:30:05.119
the facts, time, his institutional record, his rehabilitation efforts, statements

411
00:30:05.119 --> 00:30:09.920
from those affected. Then they reached a decision parole denied.

412
00:30:10.559 --> 00:30:14.240
The parole concluded that releasing Eric at that time would

413
00:30:14.279 --> 00:30:18.200
be incapable with public safety and the seriousness of the

414
00:30:18.279 --> 00:30:23.400
crime for the Roby family. The decision brought relief for Eric,

415
00:30:23.839 --> 00:30:28.079
it meant returning to his prison cell, waiting another two years,

416
00:30:28.480 --> 00:30:34.920
and again two years later, another hearing, another opportunity, another denial.

417
00:30:35.359 --> 00:30:40.480
Two more years passed, another hearing, another denial. The cycle

418
00:30:40.559 --> 00:30:46.039
repeated over and over and over again. Each hearing followed

419
00:30:46.079 --> 00:30:52.000
a familiar pattern. Board members reviewed the murder, asked about rehabilitation,

420
00:30:52.640 --> 00:30:59.640
discussed accountability, evaluated release plans, considered public safety. Each time

421
00:30:59.680 --> 00:31:03.359
they could included that Eric should remain incarcerated. The years

422
00:31:03.359 --> 00:31:12.960
accumulated three denials, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten,

423
00:31:13.759 --> 00:31:18.559
ten separate parole denials. For nearly twenty years after first

424
00:31:18.599 --> 00:31:22.960
becoming eligible, Eric remained in prison while the board consistently

425
00:31:23.039 --> 00:31:27.279
determined that the severity of the crime outweighed arguments for release.

426
00:31:28.240 --> 00:31:34.640
Every parole hearing reignited public debate. Television stations revisited the case.

427
00:31:35.319 --> 00:31:41.880
Newspapers interviewed legal experts, psychologists weighed in victims. Advocates spoke

428
00:31:42.480 --> 00:31:46.519
the same question resurface. Can someone who committed murder at

429
00:31:46.559 --> 00:31:52.279
thirteen truly change? If rehabilitation is possible, how should society

430
00:31:52.359 --> 00:31:56.599
measure it? Should the age of the offender matter? Should

431
00:31:56.640 --> 00:32:00.599
the age of the victim matter more? These weren't easy questions.

432
00:32:01.559 --> 00:32:05.160
They still aren't. Some believe Eric had served more than

433
00:32:05.319 --> 00:32:09.039
enough time for a crime committed as a juvenile. Others

434
00:32:09.160 --> 00:32:12.920
argued that Derek Roby never received the opportunity to grow up,

435
00:32:13.480 --> 00:32:18.279
and that fact alone outweighed any rehabilitation Eric might demonstrate.

436
00:32:18.880 --> 00:32:22.240
Neither perspective erased the pain at the center of the case.

437
00:32:23.119 --> 00:32:26.680
One family lost a sum forever. Another watched their child

438
00:32:26.759 --> 00:32:32.400
spend nearly three decades behind bars. Both realities existed simultaneously.

439
00:32:32.960 --> 00:32:37.680
One issue consistently discussed during parole proceedings involved Eric's acceptance

440
00:32:37.720 --> 00:32:42.400
of responsibility. Parole boards often look beyond whether an inmate

441
00:32:42.440 --> 00:32:47.519
admits guilt. They examine whether the person demonstrates genuine insight

442
00:32:47.680 --> 00:32:52.640
into the harm caused. Over the years, Eric expressed remorse

443
00:32:52.680 --> 00:32:56.880
for Derek's death. He acknowledged responsibility and spoke about the

444
00:32:56.920 --> 00:33:01.279
devastating impact his actions had on the Roby family. Whether

445
00:33:01.359 --> 00:33:06.559
those expressions reflected deep personal transformation or simply decades of

446
00:33:06.599 --> 00:33:11.279
reflection was impossible for anyone outside Eric himself to know

447
00:33:11.599 --> 00:33:12.319
with certainty.

448
00:33:12.880 --> 00:33:14.160
The parole board had to.

449
00:33:14.160 --> 00:33:18.039
Evaluate not only what he said, but whether they believed it.

450
00:33:18.599 --> 00:33:22.960
For years, their answer remained the same. Not yet. It's

451
00:33:23.119 --> 00:33:27.119
tempting to imagine life as a collection of countless choices.

452
00:33:27.759 --> 00:33:32.720
Most are, but occasionally everything changes because one decision made

453
00:33:32.759 --> 00:33:37.759
in one terrible moment. For Derek, that moment ended his life.

454
00:33:37.960 --> 00:33:41.680
For Eric, it denied nearly thirty years of it. The

455
00:33:41.799 --> 00:33:47.160
consequences extended far beyond those two boys. Parents raised children differently,

456
00:33:47.720 --> 00:33:52.039
Teachers became more aware of bullying. Mental health professionals studied

457
00:33:52.079 --> 00:33:57.680
the case, Legal scholars debated juvenile sentencing communities across America

458
00:33:57.799 --> 00:34:01.680
asked themselves whether warning signs had had been overlooked. The

459
00:34:01.759 --> 00:34:05.799
murder became part of a much larger national conversation, one

460
00:34:05.839 --> 00:34:10.119
that continues today because while Eric Smith's case is unique,

461
00:34:10.159 --> 00:34:13.840
the questions it raises are not. How do we recognize

462
00:34:13.920 --> 00:34:18.079
children in crisis? How do we intervene before violence occurs,

463
00:34:18.360 --> 00:34:23.360
and can accountability and rehabilitation exist together? By twenty twenty one,

464
00:34:23.639 --> 00:34:27.000
those questions would once again stand before the parole Board,

465
00:34:27.440 --> 00:34:31.079
only this time the answer would be different. By twenty

466
00:34:31.119 --> 00:34:34.719
twenty one, Eric Smith had spent nearly twenty nine years

467
00:34:34.760 --> 00:34:40.280
behind bars, twenty nine birthdays, twenty nine Christmases, twenty nine

468
00:34:40.320 --> 00:34:43.880
years waking up inside prison walls. He had entered the

469
00:34:43.960 --> 00:34:46.599
correctional system as a frightened thirteen year old.

470
00:34:47.159 --> 00:34:49.119
Now he was forty one.

471
00:34:49.679 --> 00:34:54.920
Nearly his entire adult life had unfolded inside correctional facilities.

472
00:34:55.440 --> 00:34:59.239
The outside world had transformed when Eric was arrested in

473
00:34:59.320 --> 00:35:03.440
nineteen ninety three. The Internet barely existed in most homes.

474
00:35:03.719 --> 00:35:08.760
Smartphones didn't exist. Social media hadn't been a magic streaming

475
00:35:08.840 --> 00:35:13.360
television wasn't part of everyday life. Entire generations had grown

476
00:35:13.440 --> 00:35:17.880
up while Eric remained incarcerated. For him, freedom had become

477
00:35:17.960 --> 00:35:24.000
something almost theatrical, something remembered rather than experience. In October

478
00:35:24.039 --> 00:35:27.480
twenty twenty one, Eric Smith once again appeared before the

479
00:35:27.519 --> 00:35:30.960
New York State Board of Parole. It wasn't his first hearing.

480
00:35:31.760 --> 00:35:35.880
It wasn't his fifth, It wasn't even his tenth. It

481
00:35:35.960 --> 00:35:40.159
was his eleventh. By then, board members had decades of

482
00:35:40.280 --> 00:35:50.000
institutional records to examine educational achievements, counseling participation, psychological evaluations,

483
00:35:50.320 --> 00:35:57.199
work history, behavior reports, release planning, support systems, waiting outside prison.

484
00:35:58.000 --> 00:36:01.920
Unlike earlier hearings, Eric now had nearly three decades of

485
00:36:02.000 --> 00:36:06.599
documented conduct to present. According to the Parole Board, several

486
00:36:06.639 --> 00:36:10.079
factors weighed in his favor. He had maintained a lengthy

487
00:36:10.159 --> 00:36:16.199
period without disciplinary problems. He had completed numerous rehabilitative programs.

488
00:36:16.679 --> 00:36:21.400
He had developed a release plan that included housing, employment assistance,

489
00:36:21.800 --> 00:36:27.079
and community supervision. Board members also considered his age. Research

490
00:36:27.239 --> 00:36:33.039
consistently shows that violent offending decreases significantly as people grow older.

491
00:36:33.559 --> 00:36:36.360
Eric was no longer the impulsive thirteen year old who

492
00:36:36.360 --> 00:36:39.239
committed the murder, nor was he the twenty three year

493
00:36:39.280 --> 00:36:42.280
old who first sought parole. He was now a middle

494
00:36:42.280 --> 00:36:46.719
aged man. After reviewing the evidence, the Parole Board reached

495
00:36:46.760 --> 00:36:52.000
a decision that surprised many people. Parole granted. The announcement

496
00:36:52.079 --> 00:36:56.280
made national headlines. Some people believed the board had honored

497
00:36:56.280 --> 00:37:00.760
the purpose of rehabilitation. Others believed just this had failed.

498
00:37:00.800 --> 00:37:06.480
Derek Roby, once again victim advocates expressed concern. Many members

499
00:37:06.480 --> 00:37:09.679
of the public questioned how someone responsible for such a

500
00:37:09.719 --> 00:37:13.800
horrific crime could ever be released. Others argued that if

501
00:37:13.840 --> 00:37:17.840
the justice system truly believes in rehabilitation, then it must

502
00:37:17.960 --> 00:37:22.400
recognize genuine change when it occurs. Those opinions remain deeply

503
00:37:22.440 --> 00:37:27.159
divided today. There is no universal agreement. Perhaps there will

504
00:37:27.199 --> 00:37:31.199
never be, because cases like this for society to confront

505
00:37:31.239 --> 00:37:34.840
two difficult truths at the same time. A child committed

506
00:37:34.960 --> 00:37:39.480
an unimaginable crime and that same child eventually became an

507
00:37:39.519 --> 00:37:43.480
adult after spending nearly three decades paying for it. Those

508
00:37:43.639 --> 00:37:48.960
realities don't cancel one another. They exist together. In February

509
00:37:48.960 --> 00:37:52.079
of twenty twenty two, Eric Smith walked out of prison

510
00:37:52.280 --> 00:37:54.840
for the first time since nineteen ninety three.

511
00:37:55.000 --> 00:37:55.840
He was free.

512
00:37:56.000 --> 00:38:01.440
Freedom, however, came with significant conditions. Was released under lifetime

513
00:38:01.519 --> 00:38:06.119
parole that meant continued supervision by parole officers in strict

514
00:38:06.119 --> 00:38:11.480
conditions governoring his life in the community. His release wasn't

515
00:38:11.559 --> 00:38:14.960
the end of accountability. It marked the beginning of a

516
00:38:15.039 --> 00:38:20.159
new chapter. Under ongoing supervision. Details about Eric's current life

517
00:38:20.199 --> 00:38:25.719
have remained intentionally limited. That privacy helps reduce unnecessary attention

518
00:38:25.880 --> 00:38:30.360
and supports public safety considerations. There have been no widely

519
00:38:30.440 --> 00:38:35.000
reported allegations that he has violated the conditions of his parole.

520
00:38:35.400 --> 00:38:39.239
Cases like Eric Smith's challenge. One of the oldest questions

521
00:38:39.320 --> 00:38:44.000
in criminal justice, what is prison for? Is it solely punishment?

522
00:38:44.400 --> 00:38:48.559
Is it protection for society? Is it rehabilitation? Or is

523
00:38:48.559 --> 00:38:50.000
it some combination of all?

524
00:38:50.079 --> 00:38:50.360
Three?

525
00:38:50.760 --> 00:38:55.679
Reasonable people often arrive at different answers. Some believe certain

526
00:38:55.719 --> 00:39:00.480
crimes permanently removed the possibility of freedom. Others believed that children,

527
00:39:00.719 --> 00:39:04.639
even those who commit terrible acts, possess a greater capacity

528
00:39:04.840 --> 00:39:09.559
for change than adults. Neither position erases the suffering caused

529
00:39:09.559 --> 00:39:13.519
by the crime. Neither position brings Dereck Roby back. The

530
00:39:13.639 --> 00:39:19.400
law attempts to balance justice, accountability, rehabilitation, and public safety,

531
00:39:19.679 --> 00:39:23.599
but those goals don't always align perfectly. A few cases

532
00:39:23.679 --> 00:39:27.159
test that balance. More than this, it's easy and high

533
00:39:27.199 --> 00:39:31.239
profile criminal cases for public attention to become focused almost

534
00:39:31.360 --> 00:39:37.880
entirely on the offender. Photographs, interviews, court hearings, parole decisions.

535
00:39:38.159 --> 00:39:41.920
Years pass, and sometimes the victim's name slowly fades into

536
00:39:41.960 --> 00:39:45.840
the background. That should never happen. Dereck Roby wasn't simply

537
00:39:46.039 --> 00:39:49.440
the victim in a famous case. He was a little boy,

538
00:39:49.960 --> 00:39:54.360
a son, a grandson, a child who loved life. His

539
00:39:54.480 --> 00:39:57.480
family has spent decades carrying a loss that cannot be

540
00:39:57.599 --> 00:40:02.920
measured by court decisions or parole. Here, every milestone Eric experienced,

541
00:40:03.239 --> 00:40:06.920
even inside prison, was one Derek never had the chance

542
00:40:07.000 --> 00:40:10.440
to reach. That reality deserves to remain at the center

543
00:40:10.519 --> 00:40:14.199
of this story. More than thirty years later, people still

544
00:40:14.199 --> 00:40:17.719
ask the same question, how could this happen? The honest

545
00:40:17.760 --> 00:40:22.000
answer is we may never fully know. Psychologists can explain

546
00:40:22.199 --> 00:40:27.679
risk factors, Researchers can study childhood trauma, Experts can discuss

547
00:40:27.719 --> 00:40:32.360
emotional development, but no single explanation fully accounts for why

548
00:40:32.559 --> 00:40:35.480
one thirteen year old committed an act that's shocked an

549
00:40:35.639 --> 00:40:40.039
entire nation. Bullying alone doesn't explain it. Mental health struggles

550
00:40:40.079 --> 00:40:44.320
alone don't explain it. Neither does anger. Human behavior is

551
00:40:44.400 --> 00:40:48.679
rarely that simple. Perhaps the greatest lesson isn't that monsters

552
00:40:48.719 --> 00:40:52.559
are born, or even that monsters are made. Perhaps it's

553
00:40:52.599 --> 00:40:56.480
that children in crisis need to be seen, heard, and

554
00:40:56.599 --> 00:41:01.639
helped long before violence becomes imaginable. Because intervention is always

555
00:41:01.679 --> 00:41:06.440
more powerful than hindsight, and sometimes the warning signs only

556
00:41:06.480 --> 00:41:10.199
seem obvious after tragedy has already occurred. Thank you for

557
00:41:10.320 --> 00:41:13.840
joining me on this episode of Among Monsters. If today's

558
00:41:13.880 --> 00:41:17.679
story reminded you of the importance of recognizing children or

559
00:41:17.840 --> 00:41:23.599
struggling with bullying, isolation, emotional distress, or mental health challenges,

560
00:41:24.039 --> 00:41:27.840
consider supporting organizations in your community that work with young

561
00:41:27.920 --> 00:41:31.920
people and families. Early intervention can make a profound difference,

562
00:41:32.199 --> 00:41:36.039
even though it cannot explain or prevent every tragedy. If

563
00:41:36.039 --> 00:41:40.880
you appreciate our commitment to respectful, fact based storytelling, please

564
00:41:40.920 --> 00:41:44.519
follow Among Monsters, leave a review, and share the show

565
00:41:44.599 --> 00:41:48.239
with someone who enjoys thoughtful true crime. Until next time,

566
00:41:48.639 --> 00:41:52.960
stay aware, stay compassionate, and remember the most frightening stories

567
00:41:53.000 --> 00:41:56.639
are often the ones that force us to confront uncomfortable

568
00:41:56.719 --> 00:42:01.679
truths about ourselves, our communities, and the responsibility we all

569
00:42:01.800 --> 00:42:06.039
share in protecting the most vulnerable among us. I'm maya,

570
00:42:06.400 --> 00:42:08.000
this has been Among Monsters.