Supreme Court reinstates murder conviction in case of Etan Patz

Key Points:

• The Supreme Court reinstated Pedro Hernandez's 1979 murder conviction in the disappearance of 6-year-old Etan Patz by a 6-3 vote, overturning a federal appeals court decision that had overturned the verdict.
• The appeals court had reversed Hernandez’s conviction due to the trial judge’s inadequate response to a jury question about the voluntariness of Hernandez’s confessions, but the Supreme Court ruled federal courts should not second-guess state court decisions under a 1996 federal law.
• Hernandez, who admitted to the crime under police questioning but whose lawyers argue the confession was false due to mental illness and coercion, has been serving a 25 years to life sentence and was preparing for a third trial after a mistrial and a conviction in previous trials.
• Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg praised the Supreme Court ruling as a victory for justice for Etan Patz and his family, while Hernandez’s attorneys expressed deep disappointment, maintaining their client’s innocence.
• Etan Patz’s disappearance in 1979 was one of the first high-profile missing child cases in the U.S., leading to increased awareness and the establishment of National Missing Children’s Day.