A jury continued reviewing testimony and evidence on Tuesday — the fifth day of deliberations — in the Etan Patz murder trial. Pedro Hernandez confessed to police that he killed the boy in the basement of a Soho bodega in 1979.
Once again, the jury broke deliberations to ask the judge to explain whether someone can be convicted based on "his words alone." The judge explained someone couldn't be convicted "solely on his own words," but on all the evidence presented. They also asked for the definition of "hearsay" and "circumstantial evidence."
A few hours later, the jury sent a note to the judge and asked to review photos and schematics of the SoHo bodega where Patz was allegedly murdered, Hernandez's high school records and the testimony of two psychiatrists. During the trial, Riker's Island psychiatrist Dr. Flavia Robotti testified that Hernandez confessed to her that he'd killed Patz. Another psychiatrist, Dr. Michael First, testified that Hernandez had a history of cocaine abuse and a schizotypal personality disorder.
Defense attorney Harvey Fishbein said he isn't sure what to make of all the jury requests. "I still think they're trying to get an overview," he said, during a break in the deliberations. "And then they will decide what to lean on, but I have no idea."
If convicted, Hernandez faces a possible sentence of life in prison.