Judge orders retrial or release for Etan Patz murder convict

Pedro Hernandez, convicted of abducting and murdering Etan Patz, must be retried by June 2026 or be released, as ruled by a federal judge in New York. The case, stemming from Patz’s 1979 disappearance, has faced challenges including a prior hung jury and a wrongful conviction ruling due to judicial errors, with the Manhattan DA’s office considering its next steps.

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