Tonight Saturday (March 19 2022) an all-new CBS “48 Hours” reports on the release of Eric Smith
Tonight, The March 19 edition of “CBS: 48 Hours” airs at 10PM ET/PT on CBS. You can watch previous episodes at CBS and ParamountPlus.
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Eric Smith spent 28 years behind bars for the 1993 murder of a 4-year-old boy. He was released from prison in February. Is he a changed man? The parents of the murdered child speak with 48 HOURS and contributor Jim Axelrod in their first extensive interview since Smith was released.
“48 Hours” “The Poisonous Wife”
48 HOURS has been covering the case since 1993, when Smith was charged with killing Derrick Robie. The horrific murder drew national attention because Smith was just 13 years old and Robie just 4. Smith was tried and convicted as an adult. He was sentenced nine years to life. He was eligible for parole starting in 2002, but it wasn’t until his 11th appearance before the board that he was granted it. He told the panel he had plans for his future, even a fiancée. Smith was released in February 2022 to live in Queens, N.Y.
“We never forget our boy … because he was, you know, a wonderful child,” says Doreen Robie, whose son Derrick was killed by Smith. “And we miss him terribly. … I wouldn’t wish this on anyone.”
Did Smith change in prison? He told CBS affiliate WENY-TV in 2009, “I can live in society and function as any other normal individual.”
For the Robie family, however, the pain never goes away.
“Yeah, a lot of people don’t know the full gamut of what we go through,” says Doreen Robie. “And nor should they. I wouldn’t wish this on anyone.”
What’s next for the Robies? And is it a gamble letting Smith out of prison?
“It’s a huge gamble,” says John Tunney, who prosecuted Smith’s case. “This parole decision is a high-risk enterprise, to be sure
