Shooting Suspect's First Victim Says System Failed to See Red Flags
By: Marci Manley, KARK 4 News
Updated: August 23, 2012
"I was hoping the system would work. I was hoping he'd serve his time and come out a different person," she said, wringing her hands as our cameras rolled.
When Charlotte read the headlines, she was saddened, but not surprised.
"He has no regard for life. I'm not surprised. To me it was like it should have been expected," she said.
In June 2012, Eric Sanders, Jr. was arrested for allegedly shooting a man in the chest in Pulaski County.
"I was the cautionary tale. I should have been the first red flag," Charlotte said.
Sanders is no stranger to the judicial system, according to his rap sheet at Pulaski County Jail and in the county clerk's office. He spent a stint in prison after pleading guilty to a robbery from 2006.
"I feared the worst, and I feared the worst a long time after that," Charlotte said.
Charlotte, speaking to us under the condition we conceal her last name and face, said in December 2006 Sanders approached her as she was walking to her car at a Little Rock gas station near the airport.
He waited for her to strap in her infant's carrier, then he told her he had a gun and instructed her not to say a word. He stole her purse, and then began to fight for the key's to her vehicle.
"I just fought him off. I didn't have a choice," she said.
Charlotte, saying he attempted to steal the vehicle with her baby inside.
"All I could think then, and all I can think now, is what would he have done with my baby? It wasn't like he would rock her to sleep," she said.
Sanders pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 10 years in prison for the felony back in 2008. He served less than three years and was then paroled.
"There are times we wish we had other options," said Arkansas Parole Board Chairman John Felts. "I would say the average person doesn't understand the way parole works, because it's a complicated system. We hear a lot of victims who wonder why convicted criminals are released so early."
According to Felts, the law leaves little room for discretion when inmates are eligible for mandatory parole.
"The law distinguishes between crimes as discretionary and non-discretionary. The majority of crimes are non-discretionary. That means they are going to be released when the date comes for their eligibility. The only option that we have is to require them to complete a program or put restrictions in place like supervision, ankle monitors, alcohol and drug tests or curfews," Felts said.
The amount of time an inmate spends in the system is also determined by law, according to Felts.
"We [the Parole Board] don't determine that. The sentencing laws are set in Arkansas. You don't serve your entire sentence incarcerated, typically. It's based on two different factors. One is sentencing laws for the particular crime, a percentage that must be served. The second is what the person's institutional record is like," Felts said.
"So, if a person has a 10-year sentence, they will be on paper, that is under supervision, or incarcerated for that length of time. They'll spend the time determined by that formula in jail, the rest typically under supervision of parole," Felts said.
Sanders, set to be under supervision from his 2010 parole until January 2018. But now, he's facing two more felony charges. He's currently out on $1,000 bond, dictated by the court.
"One thousand dollars is a drop in the bucket. It's pocket change," Charlotte said. "This man was ordered to pay me over $10,000 in restitution, and I haven't seen a dime. He was able to get his hands on a weapon. That's unimaginable to me. I just don't see how the system worked in this case."
"I feel like if he had been screened better this could have been prevented," she added.
According to Felts, parolees being charged with additional offenses during their parole period is not uncommon. And it's often simply a result of the individual in the system.
"Unfortunately, it does happen and more often than we would like," Felts said. "Sometimes, you can have someone that is paroled into an environment that makes you wonder if they'll ever be able to get their life straight. But something clicks and it happens. Other times, the person has everything going for them. The best circumstances for success, and we see them back here."
Charlotte hopes that this time around with Sanders, justice will be served for his second victim and society.
"I feel bad now for the new victim," she said. "When I was the victim, I just thought how random is this? Now, I don't think it's random. I think it's his nature and that should be taken into account."
Our attempts to contact Sanders at the phone numbers listed in current court documents were unsuccessful. One person we spoke with at a listed number of Sanders said they hadn't seen him in roughly two weeks.
He scheduled for a parole revocation hearing, in addition to a plea and arraignment hearing, on October 1, 2012.
When Charlotte read the headlines, she was saddened, but not surprised.
"He has no regard for life. I'm not surprised. To me it was like it should have been expected," she said.
In June 2012, Eric Sanders, Jr. was arrested for allegedly shooting a man in the chest in Pulaski County.
"I was the cautionary tale. I should have been the first red flag," Charlotte said.
Sanders is no stranger to the judicial system, according to his rap sheet at Pulaski County Jail and in the county clerk's office. He spent a stint in prison after pleading guilty to a robbery from 2006.
"I feared the worst, and I feared the worst a long time after that," Charlotte said.
Charlotte, speaking to us under the condition we conceal her last name and face, said in December 2006 Sanders approached her as she was walking to her car at a Little Rock gas station near the airport.
He waited for her to strap in her infant's carrier, then he told her he had a gun and instructed her not to say a word. He stole her purse, and then began to fight for the key's to her vehicle.
"I just fought him off. I didn't have a choice," she said.
Charlotte, saying he attempted to steal the vehicle with her baby inside.
"All I could think then, and all I can think now, is what would he have done with my baby? It wasn't like he would rock her to sleep," she said.
Sanders pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 10 years in prison for the felony back in 2008. He served less than three years and was then paroled.
"There are times we wish we had other options," said Arkansas Parole Board Chairman John Felts. "I would say the average person doesn't understand the way parole works, because it's a complicated system. We hear a lot of victims who wonder why convicted criminals are released so early."
According to Felts, the law leaves little room for discretion when inmates are eligible for mandatory parole.
"The law distinguishes between crimes as discretionary and non-discretionary. The majority of crimes are non-discretionary. That means they are going to be released when the date comes for their eligibility. The only option that we have is to require them to complete a program or put restrictions in place like supervision, ankle monitors, alcohol and drug tests or curfews," Felts said.
The amount of time an inmate spends in the system is also determined by law, according to Felts.
"We [the Parole Board] don't determine that. The sentencing laws are set in Arkansas. You don't serve your entire sentence incarcerated, typically. It's based on two different factors. One is sentencing laws for the particular crime, a percentage that must be served. The second is what the person's institutional record is like," Felts said.
"So, if a person has a 10-year sentence, they will be on paper, that is under supervision, or incarcerated for that length of time. They'll spend the time determined by that formula in jail, the rest typically under supervision of parole," Felts said.
Sanders, set to be under supervision from his 2010 parole until January 2018. But now, he's facing two more felony charges. He's currently out on $1,000 bond, dictated by the court.
"One thousand dollars is a drop in the bucket. It's pocket change," Charlotte said. "This man was ordered to pay me over $10,000 in restitution, and I haven't seen a dime. He was able to get his hands on a weapon. That's unimaginable to me. I just don't see how the system worked in this case."
"I feel like if he had been screened better this could have been prevented," she added.
According to Felts, parolees being charged with additional offenses during their parole period is not uncommon. And it's often simply a result of the individual in the system.
"Unfortunately, it does happen and more often than we would like," Felts said. "Sometimes, you can have someone that is paroled into an environment that makes you wonder if they'll ever be able to get their life straight. But something clicks and it happens. Other times, the person has everything going for them. The best circumstances for success, and we see them back here."
Charlotte hopes that this time around with Sanders, justice will be served for his second victim and society.
"I feel bad now for the new victim," she said. "When I was the victim, I just thought how random is this? Now, I don't think it's random. I think it's his nature and that should be taken into account."
Our attempts to contact Sanders at the phone numbers listed in current court documents were unsuccessful. One person we spoke with at a listed number of Sanders said they hadn't seen him in roughly two weeks.
He scheduled for a parole revocation hearing, in addition to a plea and arraignment hearing, on October 1, 2012.
Comments
id say shoot him but then someone would claim that his civil rights were violated and that they are going to have a march and someone would come to speak on his behalf, you know if we simply went back to public hangings alot of this kind of stupidity could be avoided
lloyd b.
August 24, 2012 at 3:48 pm
How was shooting a man in the chest 3x while on parole considered battery with $1,000 bail? That's attempted murder. I'd like to hear from the prosecutor and judge on their decision.
Katherine K.
August 24, 2012 at 1:50 am
