Supreme Court Reinstates Conviction of Pedro Hernandez in Etan Patz Murder

The 1979 kidnapping and murder of 6‑year‑old Etan Patz remains a landmark child‑abduction case. Pedro Hernandez was found guilty in 2017 of abducting and killing the boy. In July, a federal appeals court ruled that Hernandez was entitled to a new trial. The Supreme Court heard the case and reversed the appeals decision. By restoring the 2017 conviction, the Court upheld the original verdict. The ruling ends the legal uncertainty that had surrounded Hernandez for months. Victims’ families and law‑enforcement officials hailed the decision as a measure of justice. The case may influence future appeals in high‑profile homicide convictions.