NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A man who was imprisoned for the kidnapping and murder of a six-year-old boy in New York City almost 45 years ago has had his conviction overturned.
Pedro Hernandez, 64, has been serving a 25 years to life sentence after being found guilty in 2017 of killing Etan Patz in 1979.
Etan Patz disappeared on May 25, 1979, the first day he was allowed to walk to the school bus stop by himself. He was one of the first missing children to be featured on milk cartons, which gained national attention.
President Ronald Reagan declared May 25, 1983, as National Missing Children’s Day in memory of Patz.
On the morning of May 25, 1979, Patz was given permission by his parents to walk alone to the bus stop just a block and a half away from their home. His mother watched him walk into the distance, but he never returned.
Hernandez, who was a teenager working at a convenience store in Patz’s neighborhood at the time of his disappearance, became a suspect in 2012 after making remarks about killing a child in New York.
He confessed to luring Patz into the store’s basement and choking him, claiming that something had taken over him. Despite his confession, Hernandez’s lawyers argued that he suffered from mental illness and a low IQ, which could have led to a false confession.
An appeal transferred the case to federal court after two trials in New York state court. Prosecutors claimed that Hernandez had admitted to the crimes before his rights were read to him and while being recorded.
The appeals court ruled that the judge should have provided a better explanation to the jury regarding their options, including not factoring in all three of Hernandez’s confessions.
The decision to overturn Hernandez’s conviction and grant him a new trial raises questions about mental health and confessions in court cases, as individuals with mental health disorders can be highly susceptible to influence from authority figures.
“A retrial has the potential to bring clarity, especially if new psychological insights or evidence are introduced,” said a psychotherapist. “But it could just as easily create more confusion, particularly if the case continues to rely heavily on interpretation rather than hard facts.”
The case gained national attention, with Patz’s photo being circulated on milk cartons. His parents remained hopeful for decades, maintaining the same home and phone number in the hopes of their son’s return.
The court ordered Hernandez’s release unless a new trial is held within a reasonable time period. Hernandez’s lawyer called for the charges to be dropped and focus on finding the actual perpetrator of Patz’s disappearance.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office did not respond immediately to requests for comment.
“Confessions are not always reliable. Mental illness, coercion, or desperation can lead someone to falsely admit guilt,” said the psychotherapist. “Understanding the psychology behind a confession is essential before treating it as fact.”
