Court Orders Retrial for Man Convicted in 1979 Etan Patz Case

Published: Monday, July 21, 2025 at 6:08 pm

Court Orders Retrial in Decades-Old Etan Patz Murder Case

NEW YORK – The man convicted of murdering six-year-old Etan Patz, whose disappearance in 1979 captivated the nation, has been granted a new trial. A federal appeals court overturned the guilty verdict against Pedro Hernandez on Monday, citing an error in how the trial judge handled a jury note during Hernandez's second trial in 2017.

Hernandez has been serving a sentence of 25 years to life since his conviction. He was apprehended in 2012, decades after Etan vanished while on his way to his school bus stop. The appeals court found the trial court's instructions to the jury were "clearly wrong" and "manifestly prejudicial," leading to the reversal of the conviction.

The court has ordered Hernandez's release unless the state initiates a new trial within a timeframe to be determined by the lower court. The Manhattan District Attorney's office is reviewing the decision. Hernandez's attorney declined to comment.

Hernandez, who was a teenager working at a convenience store in Etan's neighborhood at the time of the disappearance, confessed to choking the boy. However, his defense argued that he suffered from mental illness and that his confession was false.

Etan's case became a symbol of a generation's fear, as his image was among the first to appear on milk cartons. The case prompted increased awareness of missing children and led to the establishment of a national hotline and improved information sharing among law enforcement agencies. The anniversary of Etan's disappearance is now recognized as National Missing Children's Day.

BNN's Perspective:

The overturning of this conviction highlights the complexities of the justice system and the importance of ensuring fair trials. While the pain of the Patz family remains, the court's decision underscores the need for due process, even in cases that have deeply impacted the public. The focus now shifts to whether the state will pursue a retrial and the potential for further legal proceedings in this long-standing case.

Keywords: Etan Patz, Pedro Hernandez, missing child, murder, retrial, conviction overturned, appeals court, jury, Manhattan, National Missing Children's Day, 1979, court decision, legal proceedings

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