(NEW YORK) — Pedro Hernandez, the man convicted of kidnapping and murdering Etan Patz in 1979, should be retried or released, a federal appeals court ruled Monday.
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals based its decision on a flawed jury instruction given by a New York state judge about Hernandez’s purported confessions.
Hernandez, 64, is currently in state prison serving a sentence of 25 years to life after he was convicted in 2017 of kidnapping and murdering Patz, the 6-year-old boy whose face was the first placed on a milk carton to seek public help finding missing children.
A spokeswoman for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said, “We are reviewing the decision.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
