Etan Patz's Mum Recalls The Day He Vanished

We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.

By Sky News US Team

The mother of Etan Patz, a six-year-old boy who disappeared in New York in 1979, has testified at the trial of the man accused of killing the child.

Julie Patz recalled how her son vanished and the last time she saw him.

She said she walked Etan down the stairs of their Manhattan loft and sent him off to school, with a dollar in hand to buy soda. It was 25 May 1979.

"That was the last time I saw him. I watched him walk one block away," 72-year-old Ms Patz said.

"I turned around and went back upstairs, and that was the last time."

1/8

Gallery: Etan Patz: A History Of The Case

Etan Patz disappeared on 25 May 1979

The boy, six, was on his way to school

]]>

Etan became one of the first missing children featured on milk cartons

]]>

His case prompted a series of reforms that changed how law enforcement handles missing children

]]>

In 2012, a suspect was identified and arrested

]]>

The boy was headed first to the corner store to buy soda, then to the bus stop. It was the first time he was allowed to walk the short trip alone.

Etan's best friend at the time, Chelsea Altman, testified that she had saved him a seat on the bus, but he never got on.

Etan's disappearance captivated the nation, and he became one of the first missing children featured on milk cartons.

The case ushered in a new era of child protectiveness and a series of reforms that changed how law enforcement handles missing children, with his parents advocating the legislation.

His body has never been found.

In 2012 a former store clerk, Pedro Hernandez, emerged as a suspect and was charged with killing Etan.

The apparent breakthrough in the case was based on a tip and a videotaped confession.

On Monday, Julie Patz recounted her time living in Manhattan's SoHo neighbourhood when her children were little. She said the corner store was a safe zone for neighbourhood children.

She described Etan as a trusting boy.

"Totally non-judgmental about people," she said.

"Everyone that he met once was his friend and was a nice person."

But while Etan craved independence and was eager to become a grown-up, Ms Patz said, "at the same time, he was very fearful of being lost or left alone by himself".

Ms Patz could not hold back tears as she talked about how she felt in the hours after she learned Etan had not been at school.

"I don't remember a thing about that night and the next day, quite honestly," she said.

She recalls only having "very rubbery legs", an upset stomach and difficulty walking, thinking and talking.

Hernandez initially confessed to strangling the child in the basement of the store, but his lawyers now say the confession was false and was obtained after hours of police interrogation.

They suggest the real killer may be a convicted Pennsylvania child molester who was a prime suspect for years.

According to the New York Times, Hernandez also has a personality disorder and a weak mind.

Recommended by Outbrain Recommended by Outbrain

Plumpang Raya