Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Eric Demart Smith, July 8, 1998

Paul Anders Saustrup chased down and then gunned down 18-year-old Eric Demart Smith after allegedly seeing Smith trying to break into Saustrup's girlfriend's car on July 8, 1998. Smith was an orphan and had aged out of the foster care system. He was unarmed and had not taken anything from the car which lead to Saustrup being charged with murder. Saustrup was defended by Attorney Joe Turner of Austin, who had been initially rejected by the University of Texas School of Law but had successfully argued that Blacks with low test scores had gotten in. Saustrup was acquitted claiming self defense.

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