Supreme Court restores conviction in infamous Etan Patz NYC murder

Key Points:

• The Supreme Court ruled on June 22 that Pedro Hernandez, convicted of kidnapping and murdering 6-year-old Etan Patz, should not be granted a new trial, reversing a lower court's decision that cited improper jury instructions.
• Etan Patz disappeared near his New York City home over 40 years ago, a case that significantly influenced national protocols for handling missing children, including the creation of AMBER Alerts and national databases.
• Hernandez confessed to the crime in 2012 but his defense argued the confession was false and linked to mental illness; he was convicted in a 2017 retrial after an initial hung jury.
• The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had overturned Hernandez's conviction, stating jurors were not properly instructed about the admissibility of his pre-Miranda confession, but prosecutors argued against retrying due to the case's age and deceased witnesses.
• Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg emphasized the conviction's importance and the office's commitment to justice for Etan and his family, highlighting the case's lasting impact on New York and national child safety measures.