Closure At Last? Man Implicated In 1979 Etan Patz Disappearance

Etan Patz, the 6-year-old boy who went missing in New York City back in 1979, has become a household name. To this day, nobody has solved the decades-old case, which helped launched a missing children’s movement and that put kids’ faces on milk cartons everywhere. Patz was last seen on May 25, 1979 – almost 33 years ago to the day – as he left his family’s apartment for his first solo walk to a nearby bus stop. He was headed to school but mysteriously vanished somewhere along the way.

Sadly, Patz’ parents never had closure. There has been some false hope along the way – just last month, for instance, police dug up a SoHo basement hoping to find remains of the little boy – but the case remains a mystery. Today, however, there’s some new hope. A man is in custody after implicating himself in the disappearance and death of Etan Patz. According to reports, Pedro Hernandez told investigators he played a role in the murder. The New Jersey man is currently being questioned and investigators are treating his admissions a serious lead.

That said, one law enforcement official told The New York Times that they’re proceeding cautiously. Apparently Harnandez has not provided any information that wasn’t already in the public records. Still, we’ll all be watching closely today to see what, if anything, develops from this major lead. In the meantime, my thoughts are with Patz’ mother and father, who for 33 years now have been living a parent’s worst nightmare.

(Photo: cnn.com)