A federal court has overturned the conviction in the Etan Patz case, sending shockwaves through the legal and victim advocacy communities. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Pedro Hernandez, previously found guilty of murdering Etan Patz, must now receive a new trial or walk free.
This landmark decision stems from what the court called improper jury instructions during Hernandez’s trial. The three-judge panel agreed the lower court violated clearly established federal law. The panel further determined that the mistake was not a harmless error.
Pedro Hernandez, now 64, was convicted of kidnapping and killing six-year-old Etan Patz. Etan vanished while walking to his school bus stop in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood. His disappearance launched one of the largest missing-child investigations in U.S. history.
Hernandez confessed, telling police he lured Etan into a basement before killing him. However, his defense team has long insisted the confession was unreliable. They argue that Hernandez, just 18 at the time of the crime, suffered from serious mental health issues.
Etan’s body was never recovered, which added complications to the already controversial Etan Patz case. Despite the lack of physical evidence, prosecutors relied heavily on Hernandez’s confession. That strategy helped them secure a conviction in a second trial, following a hung jury in an earlier attempt.
During the sentencing, Etan’s father, Stan Patz, spoke emotionally in court. He called Hernandez a “monster” and expressed deep pain over the tragedy. Yet Hernandez maintained his innocence throughout, saying he never harmed the child. Now, with this new ruling, the Hernandez legal saga continues. His attorneys hailed the decision as a step toward justice. They emphasized the need for a fair and legally sound trial.
The Etan Patz case has haunted New Yorkers for decades. Etan became one of the first missing children featured on milk cartons, symbolizing a new era of public awareness about child abductions. With Hernandez’s conviction vacated, the court system must again grapple with the painful legacy of the Etan Patz case.
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