The Lost Boy | Full Episode
Summary
TLDRThe documentary delves into the harrowing case of Etan Patz, a six-year-old boy who vanished in 1979, marking one of New York City's most infamous unsolved cases. The narrative explores the exhaustive 30-year investigation, highlighting key suspects like Jose Ramos and Pedro Hernandez. It unveils the emotional turmoil faced by Etan's family and the relentless efforts of investigators to seek justice. In 2012, Hernandez confessed to the crime, leading to his conviction in 2017. The film poignantly captures the enduring hope and ultimate resolution, though it leaves lingering questions about true closure.
Takeaways
- 🕵️♂️ The case revolves around locating a lost child, Aon F, who disappeared in 1979 at the age of 6, with the investigation lasting over 30 years.
- 👮♂️ The investigation was challenging due to the lack of modern technology like surveillance video and social media, requiring extensive legwork and community engagement.
- 👨👦 Aon F's disappearance was one of the oldest and most significant unsolved cases in New York City's history, with the case remaining open and investigators continuously seeking new leads.
- 🏠 Aon was last seen walking to his school bus stop near his Manhattan apartment, and his parents maintained hope that he was alive and would return.
- 🔍 The main suspect, Jose Ramos, had a history of pedophilia and was linked to the case through his confession of molesting a boy in Washington Square Park, but concrete evidence was lacking.
- 🐕 In 2010, Lieutenant Zimmerman and his team took a fresh look at the case, which included a dog indicating the presence of human remains in a search area.
- 🗣️ A breakthrough came when Pedro Hernandez confessed to killing Aon F, providing details that only the killer would know, such as the addition of a door after 1979.
- 👤 Hernandez's credibility was questioned due to his psychiatric condition and the fact that he had confessed to multiple people over the years about harming a child.
- 📹 The trial of Pedro Hernandez was contentious, with the defense arguing that his mental illness made him unreliable and that police may have coerced a confession.
- 🗼 The first trial ended in a mistrial due to the jury being unable to reach a unanimous verdict, highlighting the complexity and emotional weight of the case.
- 🏢 After a second trial and lengthy deliberation, Pedro Hernandez was convicted and sentenced to 25 years to life, finally providing some measure of justice for Aon F after 37 years.
Q & A
Who is the missing child being searched for in the script?
-The missing child is Aton F, who is described as a six-year-old boy weighing 50 lbs, 40 inches tall, with blonde hair and blue eyes.
What was significant about the case of Aton F?
-Aton's case was one of the oldest unsolved missing child cases in New York City, dating back to 1979, and it was significant due to the lack of surveillance and social media at the time, making traditional investigative methods crucial.
How did the family and investigators keep hope alive over the years?
-The family and investigators maintained hope by constantly re-examining evidence, following new leads, and refusing to close the case, believing that Aton might still be alive.
What challenges did the investigators face in solving the case?
-Investigators faced numerous challenges, including the passage of time, the initial lack of leads, and the difficulty in corroborating the suspect's confession due to his mental health issues and the incomplete initial interrogation recordings.
Who were the main suspects considered in Aton's case?
-The main suspects included Jose Ramos, a known pedophile who claimed to have encountered a boy resembling Aton, and Pedro Hernandez, who eventually confessed to the murder but had a history of mental illness.
What led to the re-examination of Pedro Hernandez as a suspect?
-A tip from Jose Lopez, Hernandez's brother-in-law, led to the re-examination. Lopez reported that Hernandez had made incriminating statements about hurting a child in New York, prompting investigators to look into him further.
What was the outcome of Pedro Hernandez's trial?
-Pedro Hernandez was convicted of the murder of Aton Pates in his second trial and was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.
Why was Jose Ramos initially considered a strong suspect?
-Ramos was considered a strong suspect because he was a known pedophile who had a history of molesting children, and he had claimed to be 90% sure that he had encountered Aton on the day he disappeared.
What impact did Aton's case have on public awareness and other missing children cases?
-Aton's case significantly raised public awareness about missing children, leading to initiatives like milk carton campaigns featuring photos of missing children and greater media attention on such cases.
What was the reaction of Aton's parents to the eventual conviction of Pedro Hernandez?
-Aton's parents, Stan and Julie Pates, expressed relief and a sense of justice upon Hernandez's conviction, though they acknowledged that nothing could bring their son back.
Outlines
🔍 The Enduring Search for Aton Pates
The script opens with the decades-long search for Aton Pates, a 6-year-old boy who disappeared in 1979. Despite the lack of modern investigative tools like surveillance video and social media, the case remains a top priority for law enforcement. The narrative emphasizes the relentless efforts of investigators who tirelessly reexamined evidence and interviewed potential witnesses. Aton's case is highlighted as one of the oldest and most significant unsolved cases in New York City's history. The emotional impact on the investigators, the community, and Aton's family is palpable, with the hope that he is still alive being a driving force behind the ongoing search.
🎒 The Last Day of School and Aton's Disappearance
Paragraph 2 delves into the details of Aton Pates' disappearance on the last day of school before the Memorial Day weekend in 1979. His mother, Julie, allowed him to walk alone to the school bus stop for the first time, just two blocks away from their Manhattan apartment. Carrying a book bag and a dollar to buy a soda, Aton seemingly vanished. His parents only realized he was missing when he didn't return home, leading to a frantic search involving the police and the community. The police's efforts to locate Aton included door-to-door inquiries and establishing a command center in the Pates' apartment. The case deeply affected the investigators, with one detective, Bill Butler, becoming particularly invested in the case before tragically taking his own life in 1986.
🕵️♂️ Resurrecting the Cold Case and the Emergence of a New Suspect
In paragraph 3, the narrative continues with the case being revisited by new detectives, including Phil Mahoney, who was drawn to the case by a poem about a missing boy. Despite numerous leads proving fruitless, including a bizarre tip about a cult, the focus turned to Jose Ramos, a man who claimed to have encountered a boy resembling Aton in Washington Square Park. Ramos had a history of pedophilia and was known to travel around the U.S., enticing young boys. Although he was convicted in Pennsylvania for molesting a child, the direct link to Aton's disappearance remained elusive, leaving the case still open.
🏚️ Unraveling the Mystery: The Search for Physical Evidence
Paragraph 4 describes the ongoing search for physical evidence in the case of Aton Pates. In 2000, Mahoney ordered a search of an apartment building where Jose Ramos lived at the time of Aton's disappearance, based on a tip that Ramos had disposed of Aton's body there. Despite the search yielding no results, the pursuit of the truth continued. The narrative also covers the emotional journey of Aton's parents, Stan and Julie Pates, who held onto hope and the belief that Ramos was responsible for their son's death. The case remained open, and the search for justice went on, even as the years passed without resolution.
📞 A Breakthrough Tip and the Arrest of Pedro Hernandez
In paragraph 5, the case takes a dramatic turn with a new lead. A man named Jose Lopez contacts the police, implicating his brother-in-law, Pedro Hernandez, in Aton's disappearance. Hernandez, who worked at a corner store near the bus stop where Aton was last seen, had allegedly confessed to harming a child to various people over the years. The police interview Hernandez, who provides a detailed confession and even signs Aton's missing poster with an apology. This leads to Hernandez's arrest, offering a potential resolution to the decades-old mystery.
🗣️ The Confession and Controversy Surrounding Pedro Hernandez's Arrest
Paragraph 6 presents the complexities and controversies surrounding Pedro Hernandez's confession and subsequent arrest. Hernandez's mental health becomes a central issue, with his attorney arguing that his client's personality disorder and low IQ make him susceptible to suggestion and unreliable as a witness. The prosecution, however, maintains that Hernandez's confession is credible and that he had confessed to multiple people over the years. The narrative also raises questions about the initial hours of Hernandez's questioning that were not videotaped, suggesting potential police misconduct.
🏛️ The Trials of Pedro Hernandez and the Quest for Justice
In paragraph 7, the narrative follows the trials of Pedro Hernandez. The first trial ends in a hung jury, with one juror, Adam Siris, voting not guilty due to doubts about the confession's validity and Hernandez's mental health. The defense argues that Hernandez's vulnerabilities were exploited by the police to obtain a false confession. The prosecution counters with evidence of Hernandez's social functioning and the fact that he had confessed to multiple people. The case is retried, with the same evidence and issues presented, leading to a second trial that also results in a hung jury.
🕊️ Justice for Aton: The Conviction of Pedro Hernandez
Paragraph 8 concludes the narrative with the conviction of Pedro Hernandez for the murder of Aton Pates. After a second trial and lengthy deliberation, the jury finds Hernandez guilty, and he is sentenced to 25 years to life. The verdict brings a measure of justice to the Pates family after a long and painful wait. The narrative reflects on the difficulty of the case, the focus on the wrong suspects, and the emotional impact on all those involved, including the investigators and the family.
💔 Closure and Reflections on the Aton Pates Case
In the final paragraph, the narrative focuses on the reflections of those involved in the case and the emotional aftermath of the verdict. While justice has been served, the case does not provide complete closure for Aton's family or the investigators. The emotional scars remain, and the haunting memories of Aton continue to affect those who were part of the search and the trials. The narrative ends on a poignant note, with the realization that despite solving the case, they cannot bring back the lost child, leaving a lasting impact on all involved.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Aon F
💡Missing child case
💡Investigation
💡Surveillance video
💡Social media
💡Jose Ramos
💡Pedro Hernandez
💡Mental illness
💡Confession
💡Mistrial
💡Justice
Highlights
A six-year-old boy named Aon F went missing, described as having blonde hair, blue eyes, weighing 50 lbs, and 40 inches tall.
The case was from an era without surveillance video or social media, requiring traditional investigative methods.
Investigators reexamined evidence and continuously pressed forward despite decades passing.
The case of Aon F, missing for over 30 years, was one of the oldest and most significant unsolved cases in New York City's history.
Aon F disappeared on his first walk to the school bus stop in 1979, which was only two blocks from his home.
The family always maintained hope that Aon was alive and would be found.
Jose Ramos, a primary suspect, claimed to have molested a boy in Washington Square Park around the time of Aon's disappearance.
Investigators continually searched for clues, including approaching new suspects and reexamining old evidence.
The case had a significant impact on the detectives involved, with some experiencing personal turmoil due to the unsolved nature.
Aon's image was widely circulated, becoming a symbol for missing children and influencing public awareness.
Jose Ramos was eventually linked to the case but lacked concrete evidence to be charged.
In 2012, a new team of investigators and a new prosecutor reignited efforts to solve the case.
Pedro Hernandez, a former stock boy, confessed to abducting and killing Aon after a detailed investigation.
Hernandez's confession was scrutinized due to his mental health condition and the lack of physical evidence.
In 2015, Pedro Hernandez was convicted of killing Aon, bringing some measure of justice to the case.
Transcripts
[Music]
we are trying to locate a lost Child by
the name of Aon F he is only 60 years
old he weighs 50 lb 40 in tall blonde
hair and blue
eyes it's not like a case you know
nowadays where you may have surveillance
video you may have social
media so if this case was going to get
solved you guys had to solve it you had
to walk you had to talk to people we had
to look at everything over again take a
fresh look and we just kept pressing
forward we just kept looking at
everything over and over and over again
every missing child case is very
important but this was one of the oldest
ones we had it was 30 something years
worth of investigative
steps it's a six-year-old boy you
know
six
I think it was one of the most
significant unsolved cases in the
history of New York
City when Eton was lost in 1979 I think
the city was in more of an innocent
state of
mind I mean this is the first day he
walked to the school bus you could stand
at that door and you can see the school
bus stuff it's like right
there we have always felt that he's
alive we have always kept up our hope
that we would get him
back we can't determine when it's going
to end or if it's going to end and we
will keep hope and we will keep
[Music]
looking that photo will always haunt me
and every single day that I sent my son
out to
school I thought of a ton
Pates and I was one of 8 million New
Yorkers like
that this is Washington Square Park and
this is significant because Jose Ramos
who was the main suspect in the case
said he met a boy over there by the
fountain molested the kid and then said
he let him go they're trying to hook me
up with pain
that's when you looked at the evidence
concretely about Jose Ramos it was it
was
lacking look at this see this here back
in 2010
Lieutenant Zimmerman had approached me
and he says hey you mind taking another
look at this
case dog indicated the presence of human
remains human search here the case is
always open always looking for the
needle on the Hy stack we have a suspect
dead andad that forced the truth out of
hiding disappearance ofon page the call
comes into our office onto the phone
right next to my desk did you ever heard
the name Pedro Hernandez before no
sir I grabbed him by the
neck mhm and I started to chok in
him is do you recognize this person yeah
that's him the facts of that confession
make no sense he's unreliable because of
his psychiatric condition you thought
that you were looking at the man who
killed Aon Pates
[Music]
yes
[Music]
48 Hours the Lost
[Music]
Boy
after more than 30 years it took a new
team of investigators and a new
prosecutor to Breathe new life into an
old case trying to find out what
happened to Aton Pates district attorney
Cyrus Vance Jr you really should never
close the book on a case if you think
there's the possibility that it can be
solved in 2012 investigators were
literally digging for Clues just blocks
away from where Aton was last seen after
thousands of dead end leads the public
held its Collective breath hoping this
time the case might finally be
solved yes I wish I hadn't let him go to
the bus step that morning alone Aton
Pates was just 6 years old and like many
kids that age he wanted some
Independence it was 1979 the last day of
school before the Memorial Day weekend
and eton's mother Julie finally agreed
to let Aon Walk Alone to the school bus
stop it was just two blocks away from
their Manhattan
apartment um my feelings that morning
were very positive about got his going
Aon was carrying a book bag and a dollar
to buy a soda at the corner store near
the bus stop and then he seemed to
[Music]
[Music]
vanish Julie and her husband Stan didn't
realize their son was missing until that
afternoon when he didn't come home from
school
Julie called the school and learned Aton
never arrived and his friends never saw
him at the bus stop so she called the
police I didn't want to start with
something bad happened to her I would
rather start in my mind in my heart that
it was just a missing person former NYPD
detective Patrick ianello immediately
headed to the Pat's home and then we
started to uh knock on doors anyone see
this boy we worked all that day we
worked all that night and then the
following day I got
home and
uh I I was ready to break down myself
because because I I saw my
son and he was aon's age mhm
MH a command center was set up right in
the pes's apartment both my wife and I
are
continue to be confident that he is
alive and uh we hope he's being cared
for
by someone who um
might want a child as adorable as he the
police did not know us we had to be
cleared of Suspicion as well as many
other people eton's image was splashed
on storefronts and in
newspapers eton's father is a
professional photographer and took many
phot pH of his son these pictures
captured the Public's heart and captured
aton's
Spirit he's just bubbling over with life
and he always saw the positive side
where other people saw negative it's
just he's just an incredible person our
six-year-old boy is a loving trusting
child we think an adult could have
convinced him to come with
him the police canvased the neighborhood
talking to people on the
street interviewing workers at a corner
store near the school bus stop hi one
you heard anything anything she justest
no anybody talking
anybody saying anything
nothing okay thanks a lot keep your ears
open the longer we've gone without any
bad news I think that's good detective
Bill Butler was iano's partner uh was
last seen at uh 7:55 a.m. we have leads
we don't know where we're going to end
up on the leads that we have now well
they pronounce it eight
time when you go this long on something
like this you do you you feel like
you're looking for your own
son the search for Aton dragged on
detective Butler a father with six
children lived and breathed the case how
did this case influence Bill
Butler more than I could imagine he was
very very tight into the
case in 1986 Bill Butler took his own
life and there was speculation his
frustration with this case may have been
part of the reason
why the search went on without Butler
Julian Stan had two other children to
protect protect eton's older sister and
younger brother we keep saying we we try
to lead normal lives but in so many
small
ways uh it's just totally impossible I
mean we have his belongings all over the
house and yet uh to put them away is
saying to to us and to our children that
uh he's gone and he's not coming back
and if we're patient we'll get them back
but their patience went unrewarded
the patas did everything they could to
keep their story in the news and that
helped other missing children everyone
says how many where why what happens to
them in the 1980s mil cartons showed
eton's face and then those of others but
Eton remained among the
missing by 1998 a new detective was
heading the the missing person Squad
Phil Mahoney was drawn to the case by of
all things a poem titled the missing boy
it's about a mother and son looking at
aon's missing poster I read that poem
and I said that's it I want to work on
the Aton Fates case it was pretty much
inactive it had been inactive for many
years it was cold it was colder than
gold we had
to find the the the reports put them
back together Mahoney sorted through
nearly two decades worth of work and
some bizarre tips this tip about this
cult in Westchester did that Source say
that Aon was there yeah that Aon was
killed by that cult and dumped the leads
LED nowhere but there was someone who
police were very interested
in Jose Ramos the man who said he may
have encountered a boy in Washington
Square Park not far from where the pes's
lived did he say it was Aon Pates he has
said he was 90% sure it was Aon
[Music]
Pates you ever have a kid named Anon
pots yeah that was in the papers in 79
in 1982 Jose Ramos was picked up by
police for stealing some books from
children he was homeless living in a
drainage tunnel in New York City and
former Lieutenant Phil Mahoney recalls
Ramos had some disturbing photos he had
a bunch of photos of kids that look like
Aon Pates he was a shaky character so he
enjoyed looking at these photos so Ramos
was questioned by investigators
about the photos what what is it about
that people say it looks like eaten the
smile I think how about the hair maybe
the hair not that much Susan used to
take care of him Susan
Harrington Susan Harrington Ramos's
girlfriend walked Aon to school during a
bus strike shortly before Eton
disappeared did you know where he lived
in
SoHo it was in the papers investigators
suspected Ramos was a pedophile who
could have ties to Aon there was enough
there there was a lot there to draw
attention to him
certainly Aton often played in
Washington Square Park a place Ramos was
known to visit Jose Ramos has said
several times that on May 25th 1979 he
was here and a young small sevenish
blonde kid came up to him and started
talking to him and Jose Ramos said at
that point he eventually took the kid
back to his apartment Ramos told that
story to Federal prosecutor steuart grab
who had been working the case since
1985 grab and the FBI had Through The
Years tracked leads around the world but
they always came back to Ramos in June
1988 Ramos was uh brought to my office
and uh proceeded to state that he was
90% sure that the young boy he took that
day May 25th 1979 was the same boy whose
picture he saw both in newspaper and on
television that being atamp
Pates investigators learned Ramos had
sexually molested children around the
country one of the things he did was to
travel around the United States in a
converted School Bus giving out Matchbox
cars and toys and baseball cards to
children to young boys to entice them on
to the bus grabois wanted to prosecute
Ramos even if it wasn't for the Aon
Pates case he succeeded in Pennsylvania
in 1990 Ramos pled guilty to molesting
an 8-year-old boy and was sentenced to
10 to 20 years in prison you've got a
known pedophile who says that he's 90%
sure that he picked up Aton Pates you
know around the time that he disappeared
why didn't you just go okay case
closed because you didn't have that
corroborating evidence you didn't have
that one person who said yeah I saw him
and Aon in Washington Square Park you
got the information investigators hunted
for more evidence in 2000 Mahoney
ordered a search of an apartment
building Ramos lived in when Aon
disappeared Ramos had allegedly told a
fellow inmate this is where he disposed
of aton's body when he was in jail Jose
Ramos said that he put a on into the
furnace in the basement this building
this building and you know burned up the
body but like so many tips in the Aton
Pates case nothing came of it there was
just never that next thing to make you
say yep that's it close the books we got
the guy Mahoney felt they didn't have
enough on Ramos to charge him with aon's
disappearance neither did the Manhattan
da at the time but Stan Pates and Stuart
grabois were becoming more convinced
Ramos was their man I believe this man
stalked my son I believe he lured him
back to his
apartment I think he used them like
toilet paper and I think he threw him
away Brian OWI is a prominent New York
attorney and started representing the
Pates he was friends with Stuart grabois
and in 2000 he approached grabis with an
idea I said you know you have an
opportunity you may not have thought
about it but of taking a civil case
against
Ramos it would be a wrongful death suit
Odo hoped Ramos would be subpoena and
might say something incriminating to
help bring a criminal case but before
the wrongful death case could proceed
OWI had to ask the Pates to officially
give up hope they would have to ask a
Court to declare their Son dead it's one
of the toughest things I've ever done in
my
practice and on June 19th
2001 a judge declared that Aon Pates was
officially dead I used to have fantasies
of of a taxi cab pulling up in front
and Aon coming out of it but uh that was
a long time ago I don't entertain those
fantasies
anymore the pes's attorney went to the
Pennsylvania prison where Ramos was
being held to interview the man he
believed had killed Aon Pates this was
evil incarnate if I met him on the
street I would have been very scared and
what did he say he said that yes indeed
he was on the street that day and he
picked up a little boy by the name of
Jimmy this time Ramos did not say eton's
name were you convinced that Ramos was
the guy
absolutely Ramos would never answer more
questions or testify in court and the
Pates won the civil case against him
once and for all at least have a final
declaration by a court of law that Jose
Antonio Ramos caused the death of Aton
Pates it was a victory but it was not
the end of the fight the ultimate
objective was to get a criminal
prosecution did you think it was enough
to prosecute him criminally I did the
Manhattan da disagreed he still would
not charge Jose Ramos he thought he
couldn't prove it Beyond A Reasonable
Doubt do you keep thinking about this
case or did you move on no I never moved
on never moved
on Jose Antonio Ros was in prison
unpunished for what he believed was the
death of Aon Bates but 33 years after
Aton disappeared there was a tip this is
where it all started and it could change
everything in this
[Music]
case I think about my son every day he's
he's he's gone but I will never forget
him as time passed for Stan and Julie
Pates Eton was and is Frozen in Time as
a six-year-old gone missing they
remained convinced that Jose Ramos the
pedophile who was behind bars in
Pennsylvania was responsible for aon's
death I send him a a poster twice a year
and I write on the back what did you do
to my little
boy from the time Aton disappeared in
1979 until until 2009 one man held the
position of Manhattan da Robert
morganthall he never felt there was
enough evidence to indict Ramos but
morgantha was retiring I support
sance Cyrus Vance Jr was running for the
office the Pates family reached out to
me and Stan asked me if I would look
into the
[Applause]
case and when Vance became hatan da in
2010 he did look into
it Side dance is like listen we'd like
to re you know fresh that eyes relook at
it go backwards see what was missed
Lieutenant Chris Zimmerman headed the
missing person Squad at the time and
part of the fresh look included another
look at Jose Ramos we looked at the case
for quite a while and I never was
convinced that there was proof Beyond a
reasonable doubt that Jose Ramos was
aon's
killer and so the search for another
suspect continued the FBI had been
involved on and off since aon's
Disappearance in April of 2012
investigators took another look at this
handyman who used to work for the PES
along with the NYPD they started that
day it was at the former site of the
handyman's workshop we're EX uting a
search warrant regarding The
Disappearance of Aon Pates it was not
far from where the peses still live
excuse
me the Dig went on for 5 days as
investigators sifted through
Subterranean spaces and decades old dirt
it was starting to look like there might
finally be some answers we're cautiously
optimistic we'll find evidence in the
end nothing was found the handyman was
cleared at this point there's no obvious
human remains but this was not just
another dead end far from it in fact it
led to the first major turning point in
this case the call comes into our office
onto the phone right next to my desk it
came from Jose Lopez who called police
after he watched news coverage of the
Dig can can you tell what brought you to
the police thank you very much okay
that's what I went he said his
brother-in-law might be involved in the
case detective Dave Ramirez helped lead
the
investigation and who was his
brother-in-law Pedro Hernandez did you
ever heard the name Pedro Hernandez
before no sir no what did he tell you
about his
brother-in-law um that he had made
statements to various people about him
having done something really bad to a
child in New York
Pedro Hernandez worked as a stock boy at
that corner store by the bus stop he was
18 when Eton disappeared and soon after
Hernandez left that job and moved home
to New Jersey over the years he had been
divorced remarried and had children he
worked on and off at menial jobs and had
no criminal record but he had told
people about hurting an unnamed child so
who had Hernandez spoken to there was a
religious group apparently there was a
retreat that they had gone on they all
had information to the fact that M
Hernandez did something to this child
Ramirez learned Hernandez also told his
ex-wife and a friend similar stories
detectives notes from 1979 show police
at the time knew Hernandez worked at the
store but it is is unclear if he was
ever questioned why do you suppose he
was not a suspect before I don't have
the answer for it I wasn't there you
know I I never got Clarity on that and I
don't think he did either about two
weeks after they learned about Hernandez
on May 23rd
2012 police went to his New Jersey home
to talk to him I had a told him that we
were investigating an old missing
person's case in New York City at that
point he like he lost all the color in
his face still Hernandez readily agreed
to go to the prosecutor's office in
Camden New Jersey to be questioned was
it hard to get him talking no no he
talked for 6 hours without a lawyer or a
recording of the conversation and during
that time he was shown a missing poster
of Aon Pates later the video camera was
turned on can you start telling us again
exactly what you just told us before
about what happened and Hernandez told
them about seeing a boy outside the
store where he worked who was waiting
for the school bus who was waiting for
the school bus what's his name and P
these are the words that changed the
course of one of America's most
heartbreaking cold cases Hernandez went
on telling police he offered Aon a soda
then I asked him I asked him to go to
the in the basement with me to get the
soda it is hard to listen to his story
then what happened after that then I
choked
him yeah when I choked he went this what
made you do this I don't know I don't
know it was something that just happened
he signed aon's missing poster writing I
am sorry and choke him and you recognize
this to be the boy that you choked that
day after the confession Hernandez
showed investigators where he said it
happened 33 years earlier Lieutenant
Zimmerman recorded the walk with his
cell phone so Hernandez told you here
that this was the basement entrance yes
so according to Hernandez Aon was that
way from where we are yes and he lured
him in into the basement through this
door yes sir Hernandez said he put Aon
in a box after choking him put him in a
box and then put the Box on his I'm
carry the Box up out of here at this
point I said could you show us exactly
the way you walk that day we crossed the
street on to the other
side and how far down did he go then he
went down to the
corner he went this way right yes he
crossed the street here and um he stops
here at this location he said he went
down some steps he he took the body down
here yes and then he put the box down
police believe the box was picked up by
garbage
collectors Hernandez was interviewed
again hey Mr Hernandez hello hours after
the Soho Walk This Time by a prosecutor
in the Manhattan DA's office then I
choked him and I tried to let go but I
just couldn't let him go he repeated the
same story and later that day Pedro
Hernandez was arrested we have a suspect
in custody who has made a statement to
the
NYPD implicating himself in The
Disappearance of Aton Pates 33 years ago
he had confessed to killing Aon Pates it
was a credible confession so says the
prosecutor but soon questions were being
asked about the 6 hours when Hernandez
was questioned before the videotape in
began why weren't those first hours
[Music]
[Applause]
videotaped it was a day or twoo shy of
the 33rd
anniversary it was a day or two shy that
we made the arrest this evening the New
York City Police Department is
announcing the arrest of Pedro Hernandez
age 51
of Mr Pat was taken back a little
surprised and I would say
overwhelmed you know it had a sink in
you know 30 something years it had a
sink
in you know I can't imagine not having
an answer for that many
years for decades Stan and Julie Pates
believed another man was responsible for
their son's Disappearance in
1979 I believe this man stalked my
son I want him to admit it now someone
was admitting it but it was this man
Pedro
Hernandez he was waiting for
this then he went down the
stairs right he went like this after
Hernandez was arrested he was thought to
be a suicide risk and taken to Belleview
hospital I met him at uh the prison Ward
Harvey fishbine is Pedro Hernandez's
court-appointed
attorney I walked out of there and I
said the man has an issue that needs to
be addressed I hear voices sometimes
talking to me a defense psychiatrist
diagnosed Hernandez with a personality
disorder that can leave a person unable
to different iate between what's real
and what's not I
had Vis do you think Pedro Hernandez
knows if he killed Aton Pates or not I I
I think he knows he didn't and that's
think are you sure it's hard to look
into someone's mind which is one of the
real problems we have here the diagnosis
of mental illness would be a major part
of Hernandez's
defense and in January of
2015 2 and 1/2 years after his arrest
Hernandez went on trial for the murder
of Aon
Pates Aon Pat's father walked silently
past reporters in the courthouse finally
hoping to see Justice served nearly 36
years after his young son's
disappearance at trial the defense would
argue that Hernandez's mental illness
made him make up the whole story of
murder ing Aton starting with seeing him
by the bus stop Pedro says I saw him
standing there he was waiting for the
yet no parent that was at the bus stop
that morning who knew Aon saw Aon that
morning so the fact that Pedro said that
he saw the child there when no one else
did immediately raises questions as to
did this actually happen or not
Hernandez told investigators he tried to
hide aon's book bag in the basement of
that store so I took the book bag and I
threw it behind the freezer but fishbine
says the police would have searched that
store and if they did they should have
found the bag or some other evidence
that bag was never recovered the defense
also argued that Hernandez has a low IQ
and is susceptible to suggestions we
argued to the jury he's unreliable
because of his low intellect because of
his psychiatric condition and of course
the story in the end does not make sense
but the prosecution experts interviewed
Hernandez I'm going to say some words
and concluded he is not mentally ill and
that the jury could believe his
words prosecutors had home videos
showing Hernandez socializing like
anyone
else and they pointed out that Hernandez
never reported any mental illness on a
driver's license renewal form he filled
out do you believe that he was competent
to confess absolutely I think there was
ample evidence that Pedro Hernandez was
not fabricating uh this uh homicide as
the product of Mental Illness but that
he in fact was admitting to something
that had tortured him and he confessed
but fishbine wants the jury to wonder
what happened during those 6 hours
before this videotaping began can you
start telling us again exactly what you
just told us before there was an
affirmative decision not to videotape
what was going on all it would have
taken was the pushing of a button why
wasn't that taped uh I think it was not
taped because there was no legal
requirement that it be taped how do you
know that they didn't feed him
information how do you know they didn't
Bering the way you assure yourself is by
talking to the witnesses who were there
uh after speaking to those who were
present and being informed of what
happened I did not doubt that uh there
was uh anything but a fair handling of
Mr Hernandez and uh the appropriate
questioning of him did you give him any
information about the crime when you
were talking to Mr Hernandez no did
you try and influence him I wouldn't say
no this was all of him just talking to
you volunteering this stuff yes the
defense argued police prayed on
Hernandez's vulnerability and
manipulated him to confess Pedro is a
very religious person one of the
detectives says thank you ped I can't be
to tell you how proud I am of you that's
the strength of the Lord right there is
strength that's the strength of the Lord
what's the strength of the Lord that he
said something that they said they
needed in order to make people feel
better than family to resolve
it but the police would counter and the
prosecutors would counter that this guy
confessed to so many people over the
years that he corroborates his own words
well they they would like to say that
that's I know and I don't think that's
accurate the prosecution called those
church members Hernandez's ex-wife who
did you tell you said you told your
ex-wife right and his friend who all
said Hernandez told them he he did
something bad to a young boy but at the
time they never reported anything
because they didn't know whether to
believe him if it was one statement in
isolation that would be one thing there
were a number of people to whom he
unburdened himself but fishbine told the
jury those accounts varied and Hernandez
may have been making them up to look
tough and he offered the jurors another
suspect the man many including the PES
first thought killed
Aon Jose Ramos the known pedophile whose
girlfriend knew Aon I feel certain that
if the District Attorney's office tried
Jose Ramos he would be
convicted the evidence against Pedro
Hernandez was much stronger than it had
ever been against Jose
Ramos the prosecutors had one piece of
evidence they considered critical it was
something Hernandez said when he showed
police where he said he dumped aon's
body he noticed there was a door where
he didn't remember one and he says there
wasn't a door there was when they
researched the building's history
prosecutors discovered Hernandez was
right the door was added after
1979 that's a fact that was not known
publicly that we believed only the
killer would know but the defense says
Hernandez wasn't even sure which
building it was which one you
remember he said I thought maybe this is
it and then he looks and he says no this
is it
right it was a lot for the jurors to
sift
through the trial took nearly 3
months and in April
2015 they began
deliberating and
deliberating for 18
[Music]
days what happened after that then I
ched
him yeah when I ched he went
back for 18 days the jury considered
Pedro Hernandez's confession to the
murder of Aon Pates a big bone of
contention was the mental health issue
we debated that for days
Adam Siris was one of the jurors the
other issue that was very sticky at
first was the confession everyone felt
very upset about not being able to see
the entire interview the jurors
disagreed on whether the confession
could have been coerced twice they told
the judge they were at an impass and the
third time they reported they could not
reach a verdict on May 8th
2015 this has been a very long trial and
a very long deliberation the judge
declared cled a
mistrial our long ordeal is not over
when they said they were unable to reach
a decision we believed it was going to
be 11:1 for a quiddle it was 11:1 but
not for a quid only one juror voted not
guilty it was Adam Siris do you remember
the date
[Music]
no he found the confession hard to
believe not knowing what went on before
the camera started rolling you know it's
very hard for people to wrap their minds
around the idea that somebody would
confess to murdering a child if he
didn't actually do it yeah and a lot of
the jurors said that in our
deliberations but the whole reason why
you don't just throw someone in jail
when they confess is that there's a lot
of people out there with mental illness
that could confess to lots of crimes and
doesn't mean they're all guilty but the
rest of the jurors believed Hernandez
was guilty Pedra Hernandez you know what
you did still 11 out of 12 is not enough
to convict and Stan Pates was obviously
disappointed this man did it he said it
how many times does a man have to con
confess before someone believes him Stan
was uh was unequivocal in his support
that the case should be retried and so
he did about a year and a half later
Pedro Hernandez went on trial again the
evidence and the issues were the same as
the first trial and like the first trial
it was long more than 3 months and this
trial also ended with a long
deliberation nine days did it start
fueling like the first time to you um
nothing felt like that 18 days the first
time but yes it was reminiscent of that
and we were just trying to understand
what was going on it's impossible to try
to read a jury but unlike the first
first trial this jury reached a verdict
Pedro Hernandez was convicted of killing
Aon Pates 37 years after the first
grader left home and
vanished the Pat's family has waited a
long
time but we finally have found some
measure of
justice for our wonderful little boy
Eton I am truly relieved and
I'll tell you it's about time it really
is it's about time Pedro Hernandez was
sentenced to 25 years to life why do you
think this case was so hard to solve why
did it take so
long I think people had great intentions
I think people got focused on people
like Ramos not criticizing anybody
independently because it made a lot of
sense he's an evil man he's just not our
evil man it's a feeling now shared by
others who were once convinced Jose
Ramos murdered dayon Pates before police
found Pedro Hernandez if I were on the
jury I would have come with the same
verdict do you still think of Aon pides
I do what do you think
about it could have been my
son that is the thought that still
haunts so many involved in this
case my kids are like 22 and I still
think about it when I'm when they're out
of sight and out of
mind we were kind of hoping that it
would be like a movie ending where the
the boy would eventually walk in the
door but it didn't work out that
way I notice a couple of times you've
looked down at
this why why do you does this still mean
something to you yeah this this is this
is the poster we remember the most I
would say this is the kids looking right
at you
I feel for the family I'm a father
myself and so is Dave case is solved but
solved but I never give them complete
closure I couldn't give him their son
back would have loved to give him their
son
[Music]
back
[Music]
he
4.9 / 5 (48 votes)
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