E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSView more videos at: http://nbcnewyork.com.
NEW YORK CITY -- Investigators and forensic specialists from the medical examiner's office are back searching for evidence at the site of the former SoHo bodega where a man allegedly confessed to killing 6-year-old Etan Patz more than 30 years ago.
Detectives from the NYPD's crime scene unit and missing persons squad, along with the medical examiner's forensic anthropology experts, arrived just after 10 a.m. at the Prince Street location they've been searching for the past few months in connection with the child's long unsolved disappearance.
A high-ranking member of the Manhattan district attorney's office was also at the scene.
Friday marks the second time this week detectives returned to the basement area where suspect Pedro Hernandez, a stock clerk at the former bodega in the 1970s, allegedly told investigators he killed Patz.
Friday's search is a follow-up to other searches police have conducted at the location in hopes of finding forensic evidence that could place either Patz or Hernandez in the basement.
Police were last there Wednesday, when they removed items from the basement location. Those items, including hair, fiber and a book, are being analyzed by a police lab.
Sources familiar with the investigation said they didn't expect anything recovered in Wednesday's search to yield any clues to assist the investigation.
View more videos at: http://nbcnewyork.com.
Hernandez was arrested in May after he allegedly told police he killed Patz 33 years ago in the basement of the bodega. He had also made claims to members of his New Jersey church group back in the 1980s that he once had harmed a child in New York City.
Stay informed with the latest headlines; sign up for our newsletter
So far, police have not found any physical evidence to substantiate those claims. Investigators have been searching the basement for anything that could help corroborate Hernandez's confession.
Patz vanished in SoHo in 1979 as he walked to the corner to catch his bus to school.
More content from NBCNews.com:
Leave a Comment:
If he confessed to harming a child to his church group they should have come forward and alerted police. Had investigated the basement 30 years ago more evidence may have been found.
Priests routinely cite the priest-penitent relationship as a reason for not revealing information told to them about crimes. Like it or not, the confidentiality of this relationship has repeatedly been upheld by the courts. The whole idea of confession is one of the biggest problems I have with the catholic church. In the catholic church you can do any heinous thing you like and so long as you go tell the priest about it afterward and say some Hail Marys or a few rosaries all is forgiven. The priest-penitent relationship, however, does not excuse any other members of the church he may have made comments to that did not come forward.
My question is if, as stated in the article, investigators do not expect anything they recovered on Wednesday to reveal any clues then why were they there and why did they take the items they did. Is this just for show to make it look like they are doing something??? After 30 years what kind of physical evidence do they really hope to find in this basement.
How many times have we heard cases where someone confessed to a priest, or admitted to a family member, doing something terrible and everyone remains silent? What's wrong with people? Is it the desire not to betray this loved one's trust? What about the trust they betrayed in their innocent victims?
Bernie Madoff's own sons turned him in when he confessed to being a fraud. Here a guy confesses to murdering a little boy and his church stays mum. Savages, pure and simple.
Another article says nypd had his name on list from start 1979 but overlooked or have no record of having questioned him.Next:the sister says after discussing her brother's startling Public church confession with this priest, aprox.1981-1982, she went to nj local police to give a statement of suspecting her brother of a possible murder in ny. Again? this was overlooked or have no record of this,and said she did not hear back on their findings. All I can say is W T F . Evidence now?
Good luck.
A Lot of heart ache could have been avoided had this come to light sooner than later. Stonewalling possible evidence in favor of another already invested in(politically and financially)and preferred slam dunk case happens occasionally.
In any case,& for one involving a child this seems an especially tragic mishandling.