Pedro Hernandez, who confessed to the killing of 6-year-old Etan Patz in May, was scheduled to appear in court again on Monday, but today the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office announced that the date has been pushed back to October 1. Unsurprisingly, it’s been difficult to find evidence in the 33-year-old case, and both the defense and the prosecution needed more time to prepare. The D.A.’s office said the hearing was postponed, “to allow all parties to proceed with their investigations in a measured and fair manner.”
Though Hernandez has reportedly made both videotaped and handwritten confessions, under New York law, prosecutors need corroborating evidence. So far the D.A.’s office hasn’t presented the case to a grand jury for indictment. The purpose of the next hearing is to discuss the results of Hernandez’s psychiatric evaluation. Hernandez is being held at Bellevue Hospital and is said to have schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, with a history of visual and auditory hallucinations.
