The Unresolved Mystery of Etan Patz’s Disappearance

46 years after Etan Patz disappeared in SoHo, his case remains unresolved despite lawsuits and criminal trials.

Timeline of Events

1979

Etan Patz vanished on May 25, 1979, while walking alone to the school bus in SoHo, Manhattan. This was the first day his mother permitted him to walk alone. The neighborhood was gritty and semi-industrial at the time.

His parents reported him missing when he did not return home from school. Police searched for weeks but never found his body.

1980s

The case gained national attention, influencing parenting practices in the 1980s. Etan’s story became a cautionary tale, leading many parents to become more protective and warn their children to be wary of strangers.

The boy’s image appeared on billboards and milk cartons with details about his case. His parents, Stanley and Julie Patz, frequently engaged with the media. President Ronald Reagan designated May 25 as National Missing Children’s Day in 1983.

On Monday, the conviction that seemed to resolve the case was overturned, reopening one of New York City’s haunting episodes from the troubled 1970s.