The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the murder conviction of Pedro Hernandez will stand, upholding a 6-3 decision to overturn an earlier federal appeals court decision that had thrown out his conviction.
Hernandez was convicted of kidnapping and murdering Etan Patz, a 6-year-old boy who disappeared on May 25, 1979, while walking to his school bus stop in downtown Manhattan.
The Supreme Court ruled that federal courts should not interfere too much with decisions made by state courts, pointing to a 1996 federal law that limits federal court review of state criminal cases.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg welcomed the ruling, saying his office would continue standing behind the conviction and seeking justice for Etan and his family.
Hernandez's lawyers, however, still claim he is innocent, arguing that he suffered from mental illness and gave a false confession.
The case has a long and complex history, with Hernandez becoming a suspect in 2012 and being convicted in 2017. A federal appeals court later overturned the conviction, but the Supreme Court has now reinstated it.
