A reportedly schizophrenic former college basketball star has been charged with his mother’s murder in the latest of a long line of failures for America’s for-profit healthcare system.
Local media report 28-year-old Eric Cobb was taken into custody Monday in Jacksonville, Florida, after they found 51-year-old Erika Winford dead from a gunshot wound. Cobb played basketball for the University of South Carolina and UConn between 2017 and 2019.
WHY IT MATTERS: This tragedy highlights a broken healthcare system in the U.S. where those suffering from severe mental illness struggle to get treatment in a for-profit system that prioritizes wealth over well-being.
THE DETAILS: Police detained Cobb as he attempted to leave the home where his mother’s body was found Monday morning. They later arrested him after questioning witnesses.
- Local reports indicate Cobb had schizophrenia, though it remains unclear if he was receiving proper treatment.
THE BACKGROUND: Cobb played college basketball at the University of South Carolina for one season before transferring to UConn, where he played from 2017 to 2019.
- He was indefinitely suspended from UConn’s team in 2018 for “conduct detrimental to the team,” though he was later reinstated.
BIG PICTURE: In the U.S., access to mental health treatment is often determined by income and insurance status, leaving millions—especially those with severe conditions—without the care they need.
- According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, nearly half of U.S. adults with mental illness don’t get treatment, and over a third of those with severe conditions are left without care.
WHAT’S NEXT: Cobb remains in custody as authorities move forward with charges. This case underscores the dire need for comprehensive mental health care reform in a system that leaves too many people without the support they need.