Supreme Court Restores Murder Conviction in Four-Decade Etan Patz Case

The Supreme Court voted 6-3 on June 22, 2026, to reinstate Pedro Hernandez's conviction for the 1979 kidnapping and murder of six-year-old Etan Patz. A federal appeals court had overturned the verdict in 2025; the justices reversed that decision. Hernandez will serve 25 years to life.