Etan Patz Case Closed? FBI May Not Be Convinced

With a suspect in custody and a murder confession reportedly on tape, it would seem that the NYPD has finally solved the case of missing child Etan Patz.

But as Pro Publica reporter Joaquin Sapien discovered, the FBI might not agree that 52-year-old Pedro Hernandez is Patz’s killer. In fact, a young man in Europe said he was recently contacted by the FBI to determine if he was Etan Patz. He isn’t. He’s actually 11 years younger than Patz would have been in 2014. In this interview, Sapien said it’s another sign of tension between the FBI and the NYPD and how they approach the case.

“So the fact that they are still following these anonymous tips indicates that it could well be that the FBI still doesn’t believe the right person has been apprehended and still doesn’t necessarily believe this case is closed,” Sapien said.