Statement from Eric’s mother, Eileen McDavid:

I wanted to take this opportunity to share with the public what a special person my son Eric is.

The government has tried to paint Eric as not having close ties to his family, but nothing could be further from the truth. We have always been a close family. When Eric was growing up we never missed an opportunity to camp and hike together. We attended church as a family and went to all the football and soccer games that Eric played in. As Eric has gotten older we have worked together building on our property and working in our vegetable garden. Our closeness as a family is something we all treasure and have never taken for granted. Being a part of community has always meant a lot to us. That is why we worked as family through our church feeding the homeless at Loaves and Fishes in Sacramento.

Eric has grown up with those values of caring, working together and reaching out to help others in need. Eric has worked hard as a server in restaurants and in construction, always successful at the task at hand. Eric’s favorite job was working at a church summer camp for children, where he was loved by many. Eric has a love for animals and nature, like his father, mother and grandfathers before them who were farmers and taught the value of all living things. I know he is a good and caring person, as any one who knows him will agree.