Etan Patz jury asks to see witness list in murder trial
NEW YORK - On the sixth day of their deliberations Wednesday, the jury in the trial of the man accused of killing 6-year-old Etan Patz asked for a list of all those who testified over the course of the 10-week trial, reports CBS New York.
On Tuesday, the jury had asked for clarifications on the law surrounding confessions. The panel of seven men and five women also listened to testimony from two psychiatrists who evaluated the defendant, Pedro Hernandez. On Monday, they asked to see the weather report for the day the boy disappeared in Manhattan's SoHo neighborhood in May 1979.
Hernandez confessed to killing the 6-year-old boy. He said he lured Patz into a bodega basement and strangled him.
The defense says Hernandez is mentally ill and made up the story.
Jurors will decide whether Hernandez is guilty or not on three separate charges: second-degree murder, felony murder and kidnapping.
According to CBS New York, the two different murder charges result from different theories under the law. If the jury finds that Hernandez deliberately killed Etan, they will convict him on second-degree murder charges.
If the panel decides Etan's death resulted from actions during the course of a kidnapping, they will find him guilty on the felony murder charge.
Each of the three charges is punishable by 25 years to life in prison.
Etan's photo was one of the first to be featured on milk cartons and the day he went missing became National Missing Children's Day.