In May of 1987, in the quiet community of Broomall, located within Marple Township, Pennsylvania, a tragedy unfolded involving a young boy named Eric Bernstein. Eric, a 2 1/2-year-old male, was fatally shot in the head and back with a. 32-caliber handgun in his home. His life was cut short under deeply troubling circumstances that would soon come to the attention of the wider public.
Eric had been born nine and a half weeks prematurely in July of 1984, and as a result of a lack of
oxygen, he suffered from a respiratory disease that had slowed his development. His parents had previously sought help for his condition, trying conventional physical therapy and a special nursery school program. They had even made a public plea for volunteers to assist with a demanding therapy technique that required five-minute sessions every twenty minutes. The community had responded with an outpouring of support, with over 300 people offering their help to the family.
The investigation into Eric's death led to the arrest of his mother, Irene Bernstein, who was 41 years old at the time. She surrendered to the Marple Township police and was charged with homicide in connection with her son's shooting. Following her arrest, she was released on a $25,000 cash bond. The case brought a sorrowful end to a situation that had once seen a community rally around a child in need.
