August 10, 2026

A 13-Year-Old Killer: The Murder of Derrick Robie

A 13-Year-Old Killer: The Murder of Derrick RobieOn August 2, 1993, 4-year-old Derrick Robie was lured into a wooded area one block from his home in Savona, New York, and murdered. The suspect was 13-year-old Eric Smith, a neighbor, and the homicide investigation that followed made Smith the youngest defendant ever tried as an adult for murder in New York State, leading to a second-degree murder conviction, a sentence of 9 years to life, and 11 parole board hearings across 27 years.Savona had fewer than 1,000 people in it, and Derrick knew most of them by name. He sat on a corner greeting neighbors and the town called him the unofficial mayor. When he disappeared on a walk he had made a hundred times with his mother, everyone assumed an outsider had come through. The truth was already inside the village, riding a bike, and it had been leaving warning signs for 4 years that nobody knew how to read. This is a story about two boys, one town, and a question a family friend could not stop thinking about.🔔 Subscribe for True Crime Cases multiple times a weekNever miss a story. Subscribe to 10 Minute Murder for bite-sized true crime episodes delivered fresh every week.Get a weekly email from me about the upcoming cases and more: 10minutemurder.com/newsletter📱 Follow for Behind-the-Scenes Content Get exclusive case updates, research photos, and sneak peeks of upcoming episodes:Instagram: @10minutemurder on IGFacebook: 10 Minute Murder on FBTikTok: 10 Minute Murder on TikTok💬 Have a Case Suggestion? Know a fascinating case that deserves coverage? I love listener suggestions and feature the best ones in upcoming episodes. Email: joe@10minutemurder.com Website: 10minutemurder.com ⭐ Help Grow the True Crime CommunityRate & Review: Leave a 5-star review to help other true crime fans discover the showShare: Send this episode to fellow true crime enthusiastsJoin the Discussion: Tag us in your episode reactions on social media🎧 Want Even More True Crime? Check out True Crime Blueprint, also created and hosted by Joe.Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/43zuDpH01HtdIrH0ShCAid?si=86b2281063334139

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