The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Monday that the murder conviction of Pedro Hernandez will stand. The court voted 6-3 to overturn an earlier federal appeals court decision that had thrown out his conviction. The ruling means Hernandez will not get a new trial. The three liberal justices on the Supreme Court disagreed with the majority and voted against the decision.
(Pexel/Representative image) (Pexel)
Who is the killer in the Etan Patz case?
Pedro Hernandez is the man convicted of kidnapping and murdering Etan Patz, according to court records cited by AP News. Hernandez was working at a convenience store near where Etan disappeared in New York City in 1979. He was not identified as a suspect until 2012, more than 30 years after the crime. Hernandez is now 64 years old and has been serving a prison sentence of 25 years to life.
Who was Etan Patz?
Etan Patz was a 6-year-old boy who disappeared on May 25, 1979. He vanished while walking alone to his school bus stop in downtown Manhattan. His disappearance became one of the most famous missing-child cases in U.S. history. Etan was among the first missing children whose photo appeared on milk cartons across America, according to AP News. The anniversary of his disappearance later became National Missing Children’s Day.
Why was Hernandez’s conviction challenged?
Hernandez was convicted of murder and kidnapping after a second trial in 2017. However, a federal appeals court later overturned that conviction. The appeals court said the trial judge did not properly answer a question asked by jurors during deliberations. Jurors wanted to know whether rejecting one confession would require them to reject Hernandez’s other confessions as well. The judge answered the question by saying simply, “the answer is no,” as noted by AP News. The appeals court later ruled that jurors should have received a more detailed explanation.
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What did the Supreme Court say?
The Supreme Court said federal courts should not interfere too much with decisions made by state courts. The justices pointed to a 1996 federal law that limits federal court review of state criminal cases. In an unsigned opinion, the court said the federal appeals court had gone beyond its authority. The justices wrote that the appeals court wrongly concluded Hernandez deserved relief from his conviction.
Prosecutors welcome the ruling
New York prosecutors had already been preparing to try Hernandez for a third time before the Supreme Court stepped in. Hernandez’s first trial ended in a mistrial because jurors could not reach a unanimous verdict, as mentioned by AP News.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg argued that the appeals court focused too heavily on a single jury instruction issue. Bragg said the appeals court ignored a lengthy trial that included 66 witnesses, noted by AP News. After the Supreme Court ruling, Bragg said his office would continue standing behind the conviction and seeking justice for Etan and his family.
Hernandez’s lawyers still claim he is innocent
Hernandez’s lawyers said they were “terribly disappointed” by the Supreme Court’s decision. Attorneys Harvey Fishbein and Alice Fontier said they believe an innocent man remains in prison. The defense argues that Hernandez gave a false confession. They say he suffered from mental illness that sometimes caused hallucinations. The lawyers also argued that police questioned Hernandez for about seven hours before reading him his rights. Afterward, Hernandez repeated his confession on tape multiple times.
Timeline of the Etan Patz case
May 25, 1979: Etan Patz disappears while walking to a Manhattan school bus stop. The case becomes one of the most famous missing-child investigations in the United States. Etan’s image appears on milk cartons nationwide.
2012: Pedro Hernandez becomes a suspect and is arrested. Hernandez confesses to the crime, but later claims the confession was false.
2015: First trial ends in a mistrial after jurors cannot agree on a verdict.
2017: Second trial ends with Hernandez being convicted of kidnapping and murder. A federal appeals court later overturns the conviction because of the judge’s response to a jury question.
Prosecutors prepare for a third trial.
June 2026: The U.S. Supreme Court reinstates Hernandez’s conviction, meaning the guilty verdict remains in place.
