Supreme Court Upholds Pedro Hernandez’s Conviction

The U.S. Supreme Court has reinstated the murder conviction of 64-year-old Pedro Hernandez, which stems from the 1979 case of 6-year-old Etan Patz in New York City.

Hernandez, convicted in 2017, is serving a 25-year-to-life sentence. This information comes from Fox 5.

According to reports, the justices voted 6-3 in favor of the Manhattan prosecutors’ appeal, overturning a lower federal court’s decision that had previously reversed Hernandez’s conviction. Notably, the dissent came from the three liberal justices on the court.

Etan Patz vanished on May 25, 1979, while walking alone to his school bus stop for the first time, a disappearance that unsettled the city deeply.

This case significantly impacted how authorities handle missing children; for instance, Etan became one of the first kids whose face was featured on a milk carton. The day of his disappearance is now recognized as National Missing Children Day.

Hernandez, who was working at a convenience store close to where Patz went missing, only became a suspect after he confessed to the crime in 2012. His lawyers contend that this confession was false, attributing it to mental health issues.

Reports indicate that Hernandez’s confession came after approximately seven hours of police interrogation, during which his rights were not initially communicated. He later reiterated his confession on tape at least twice.

During the jury’s deliberation in 2017, the members raised complex questions about whether they should disregard Hernandez’s confessions if they believed the initial confession was not given voluntarily. The presiding judge responded simply with “The answer is no,” leading to a guilty verdict.

The appeals court later indicated that the jury deserved clearer answers to its questions, particularly regarding the potential to dismiss all of Hernandez’s confessions.

An episode of 48 Hours featured footage showing the convenience store where Hernandez worked before Patz disappeared. In interviews, Hernandez mentioned offering Patz a soda and inviting him to his basement to retrieve it. He then confessed that he strangled the boy.

Hernandez recounted leading police to the basement, claiming he put Patz’s body in a box, carried it down the street on his shoulder, and left it where authorities later stated it had been picked up by garbage collectors.

Etan’s remains have never been found.