A convicted murderer who was released from prison last year has been charged with the murder of a missing South Florida woman whose body was recently discovered in a canal.
According to Sunrise police, on Saturday, Erika Verdecia, 33, was found dead near Fort Lauderdale, and hours later, Eric Pierson, 54, was charged with first-degree murder.
Police say that Pierson admitted to stabbing the single mother four times with a screwdriver on Sept. 25.
In September of last year, Pierson was released from prison after serving 27 years of a 40-year sentence. In 1993, he was arrested for murdering 17-year-old Kristina Whitaker, whose killing sparked a movement for longer-term sentences.
Following the slaying, Florida abolished parole, requiring prisoners to serve at least 85% of their sentences. However, because the modification could not be imposed retroactively, Pierson was still eligible, resulting in his early release last year.
Back in 1985 Pierson was arrested and charged with first-degree murder after he slit a woman’s throat in her home. At the time, he was paroled after serving four years of an 18-year sentence.
According to the Sun-Sentinel, Verdecia’s mother, Carmen basically said that Pierson was given the green light to attack her daughter.
“Why is this guy in the streets? Why?” She told the newspaper. “He’s going to pay this time. We’re not going to stop until we see him in the electric chair.”
On Sept. 27, Verdecia’s family reported her missing three days after she didn’t return home. According to friends on social media, Verdecia was last seen with a “grimy” man at a sandwich shop, whose name was Elric Pierson. According to Carmen, when she looked up his identity on the internet, she was shocked to see the newspaper reports about his previous murder and attack.
I flipped out,” she said. “I told (police) my daughter was seen with a killer. And then they started looking for her. But it was too late.”
In court filings, Sunrise police said they had a brief interaction with Pierson and Verdecia during a traffic stop on Sept. 25 – the same day Pierson admitted to murdering Verdecia.
Police say she was in the passenger seat of the vehicle and did not appear to be in any danger.
On Oct 4, police contacted Pierson, but he said he hadn’t seen her since she walked away from him at the gas station after the traffic stop.
That Friday, Pierson was questioned again. He allowed the police to search his truck, where they found blood. His girlfriend reportedly called the police and told them that Pierson would stare at the canal behind her home and say, “Damn that bitch stinks.” She also told police that he said, “If they don’t find a body, they don’t have a case.”
Shortly after, Verdecia’s body was found.
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