Remorse: The 14 Stories of Eric Morse

Abstract

This gripping and compelling program probed the death of Eric Morse, a five-year-old boy thrown from the 14th-floor window of a Chicago housing project in October 1994 by two other boys, themselves just 10 and 11 years old. Apparently, Eric`s capital crime was refusing to steal candy for the older boys. While mainstream media catapulted the story into national prominence, even garnering the attention of the President, it took two young reporters, residents of the same housing development in which the crime took place, to capture the true meaning and lasting impact of this tragedy. LeAlan Jones and Lloyd Newman, under the tutelage of talented NPR producer David Isay, present a stirring, provocative and deeply felt document of the life, death, and legacy of Eric Morse, as well as the millions of others who share his circumstance of being born into a community surrounded by drugs, violence, and a future often devoid of hope. Yet, the skillful journalism of LeAlan and Lloyd, their enthusiasm, their love for family and community, are ennobling, and demonstrate that views of ghetto life in America are often stereotypical and inaccurate. For providing a riveting personal portrait of contemporary life in urban America, and for preserving the memory of their young neighbor, a Peabody to "Remorse: The 14 Stories of Eric Morse."