The Senseless Murder of Eric Coy
The 9-year-old was stabbed to death just minutes after leaving his home by a killer who has never been caught.
Eric Coy loved to ride his bicycle. The 9-year-old, who lived in Martinez, California, spent most of his free time on his BMX bike. On the morning of Saturday, January 24, 1987, he asked his father, Dan Coy, if he could ride his bike to his aunt’s home several blocks away. He was best friends with his cousin, Eddrick, and wanted to go to his house to play. He was given permission and left his house shortly before 11:00 am. He never made it to his aunt’s house; his body was found just 15 minutes later in a wooded area near his home.
Eric normally took a shortcut through the woods behind Martinez Junior High School to get to his aunt’s house; it was an area that was very familiar to all of the children in the neighborhood, who would frequently gather there to play in Alhambra Creek. Around 11:10 am, a 13-year-old boy who was cutting through the woods to get to a local boys and girls club saw Eric and his bike lying in a bush near the cement footbridge that crossed over Alhambra Creek. He assumed that Eric had crashed while riding his bike and immediately raced to the nearby club to get help.