crimes and misdemeanors

Pedro Hernandez Indicted in 1979 Murder of Etan Patz [Updated]

Even with a reportedly frustrating lack of evidence, a grand jury indicted confessed Etan Patz killer Pedro Hernandez today, NBC reports. The former Soho bodega worker confessed to the 33-year-old cold case, but has a history of mental illness that will definitely factor in at his forthcoming trial. According to Hernandez’s attorney, “The statements alleged by the people are not supported by any evidence whatsoever despite extraordinary investigative efforts by the police, back then and now.” 

Update: “This indictment is the outcome of a lengthy and deliberative process, involving months of factual investigation and legal analysis,” said Erin Duggan, communications director for the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. “We believe the evidence that Mr. Hernandez killed Etan Patz to be credible and persuasive, and that his statements are not the product of any mental illness.”

Pedro Hernandez Indicted in Murder of Etan Patz