The Supreme Court reinstated the murder conviction of Pedro Hernandez in the 1979 killing of six-year-old Etan Patz. The ruling overturned a lower appeals court decision that had granted Hernandez a new trial.
Hernandez was originally convicted in 2017 for kidnapping and murdering the boy. The case remained unresolved for decades before a confession led to the conviction.
An appeals court ruled in July that Hernandez was entitled to a new trial. That decision was based on concerns over the handling of the case.
The Supreme Court’s action restores the original guilty verdict. The high court did not provide a detailed explanation for its decision.
The case drew national attention when Etan disappeared from a New York City street. The investigation spanned generations of law enforcement efforts.
Hernandez, a former convenience store worker, confessed to luring the boy with a soda. His statements were a central element of the prosecution’s case.
The Supreme Court’s ruling effectively ends further legal challenges to the conviction. Hernandez will remain in prison for the murder.
