Trial of Patz Suspect Set for Oct. 1

A man who confessed to murdering Etan Patz, the first missing boy whose face appeared on a milk carton in 1979, will not go on trial until Oct. 1.

NEW YORK—A man who confessed to murdering Etan Patz, the first missing boy whose face appeared on a milk carton in 1979, will not go on trial until Oct. 1.

Etan disappeared on his way to school on May 25, 1979 when he was 6. Police said last month Pedro Hernandez, who had been working at a convenience store close to Etan’s school, confessed to the boy’s murder.

Reuters quoted a statement from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office Wednesday that said the suspect’s lawyer and prosecutors agreed on the delay.

“The purpose of the adjournment is to allow all parties to proceed with their investigations in a measured and fair manner,” Reuters quoted a District Attorney spokesperson as saying. 

A search of a building in April, near where Patz disappeared, didn’t turn up any evidence—nor do police have any physical evidence connecting the suspect with the crime.