Photo: EMMANUEL DUNAND / AFP / Getty Images
A federal appeals court has ordered a new trial for Pedro Hernandez, the man convicted in 2017 for the 1979 murder of six-year-old Etan Patz. The court overturned the guilty verdict due to issues with how a jury note was handled during Hernandez's second trial, which had previously ended in a deadlock in 2015. Hernandez, who has been serving a 25-year-to-life sentence, was arrested in 2012 after confessing to choking Etan. However, his lawyers argue that Hernandez, who was a teenager working in a convenience store at the time, was mentally ill and that his confession was false.
The court's decision mandates Hernandez's release unless the state initiates a new trial within a reasonable period, as determined by a lower court judge. The Manhattan District Attorney's office is currently reviewing the decision, according to spokesperson Emily Tuttle. Hernandez's attorney, Harvey Fishbein, declined to comment.
Etan Patz's disappearance on his way to the school bus stop in Manhattan marked a significant moment in American history, as it led to increased awareness and advocacy for missing children. His case was one of the first to feature a missing child on milk cartons, and it contributed to the establishment of a national missing children's hotline. The anniversary of Etan's disappearance, May 25, is now recognized as National Missing Children's Day.