Pedro Hernandez Must Be Retrialed by June 2026 in Etan Patz Murder or Released

Pedro Hernandez, convicted in 2017 for the 1979 kidnapping and murder of six-year-old Etan Patz, must be retried by June 1, 2026, or be released, according to a ruling by U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon. Hernandez's original conviction was overturned due to flawed jury instructions regarding his confessions, necessitating a new trial or his release if the prosecution fails to proceed by the deadline. Hernandez confessed to luring Etan into the basement of a bodega where he worked, but his attorneys argue he is mentally ill and falsely confessed. The case remains challenging for prosecutors due to the passage of time, witness location difficulties, and changes in the trial team. This will be Hernandez's third trial, following a hung jury in 2015 and a conviction in 2017. The ruling underscores the enduring significance of the Etan Patz case, which helped raise national awareness of child abductions when Etan's image was first featured on milk cartons.