In a dramatic turn of events, a US appeals court has overturned the conviction of Pedro Hernandez for the 1979 disappearance of six-year-old Etan Patz - one of America's most infamous missing child cases that changed how the nation handles such disappearances.
A Case That Shook America
The Patz disappearance became a landmark case, with Etan's photo being among the first to appear on milk cartons as part of missing child campaigns. Hernandez was convicted in 2017 after confessing to strangling the boy in the basement of a Manhattan grocery store where he worked.
Court Cites Flawed Evidence
The appeals court ruled that Hernandez's confession, a key piece of evidence, was obtained under questionable circumstances and that jurors weren't properly instructed about considering alternative suspects. This includes another prime suspect, convicted pedophile Jose Ramos, who had a connection to the Patz family.
Decades-Long Mystery Continues
Etan vanished on May 25, 1979 while walking to his school bus stop alone for the first time - a moment that came to symbolize parental fears across America. His body was never found, and he was officially declared dead in 2001.
The overturned verdict leaves this haunting cold case officially unsolved once again, raising difficult questions about whether justice will ever be served for Etan and his family.
