There, Smith strangled him until he passed out, then, he dropped a large rock on his head, and sodomized him with a small stick.
The murder case made national headlines in the United States, largely because of the ages of the killer (13) and his victim (4).
[5] According to court documents, Smith was a loner who was often tormented by bullies for his protruding low-set ears, thick glasses, red hair and freckles.
[2] On November 7, 1994, he was sentenced to the maximum term then available for juvenile murderers: a minimum of nine years to life in prison.
[8] At the end of this statement, Smith states that he cannot bear the thought of "walls, razor wire, and steel metal bars" for the rest of his life.
On November 30, 2019, he was listed as incarcerated at the Woodbourne Correctional Facility, a medium security prison in Sullivan County.
[14] After the 2012 hearing, the parole board cited a concern for public safety in its decision, in addition to the opposition of Robie's parents to his release.
[15] At that hearing, he told a parole board he would not return to Savona if released, and would go to a shelter or halfway house instead.