Etan Patz case: 1979 disappearance of NYC boy continues to haunt investigators

Case update: On July 21, 2025, a federal appeals court ruled that Pedro Hernandez must have a new trial or be released. On June 22, 2026, the Supreme Court reinstated Hernandez's murder conviction. This story originally aired on April 14, 2018. Etan Patz walked out of his New York City home headed for a school bus stop just two blocks away. The 6-year-old never made it to school that day in 1979 – and he's never been found. His disappearance is a story that shocked New York City and to this day haunts law enforcement investigators who have spent decades trying to find him. The disappearance of the young boy is more than a missing person's case. Indeed, it changed the way parents watched over their kids. "I think this was one of the most significant unsolved cases in the history of New York City," Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr. tell "48 Hours" correspondent Richard Schlesinger. "Every missing child case is very important, but this was one of the oldest ones we had," says NYPD Lieutenant Chris Zimmerman. Etan Patz Stan Patz/Patz Imaging Etan Patz disappeared at a time long before social media and every storefront had a video camera. He had asked his parents to let him do the short walk to the bus stop alone for the first time. He had a dollar to buy a soda at a corner deli. His parents were unaware he was missing until he didn't return home after school. …