Police Claim a Confession in Etan Patz Case

[lucy80]

I saw his Picture on a faceook page about missing kids last night.I can't even begin to imagine what his parent's must be going through.

[McJag]

Those poor parents, waiting all this time. Just sick.

[Nevan]

I hope his family finally gets some closure ... but I'm struck with the lack of a record or even complaints of Hernandez at all. This isn't the type of crime that would be a once-in-a-lifetime event for the perpetrator. I've read a lot about Hernandez in the past few days and there is nothing in his past (pre- and post- Etan) that looks like a child killer. The NYPD even admitted that some of his details don't match up. I saw on the news last night that it was his brother-in-law that eventually turned him in ... why did he wait so long? It's been rumored that he confessed to multiple family members over the years. Why NOW do they buy his story, but didn't during earlier tips from other family members? I just don't think this guy fits, given the information released thus far. Hopefully, the police and FBI have more on him that they're not releasing ... this has to be horrific for Etan's parents.

[whitetigeress]

Thanks for finding that. I was born in the late 70s and was 7 in the mid-80s and we were allowed to play outside all day until it got dark, but after dark I had to come in and my mom wouldn't let me walk around outside by myself at night. But I was elementary school aged after the Adam Walsh thing, and I think that murder scared the shit out of a lot of parents, mine included.

Born in '71.
In 1980, panic caused by the late Clifford Olson during a time when there were news of Etan and Adam gone missing made our parents ever so frantic. That one year, '80 to '81 when Olsen was finally caught and arrested, changed our lives forever.

There are so many Etans from then to today and because of that, the panic my parents felt passed onto me with my children. Sad yet true.
I can't ever imagine the hole in the hearts of the parents who are missing a child. I'll do anything to prevent it. The fear... my gosh this fear!

Fuk you fukkers for doing this to us parents, our children!
Where's that machine gun shooting emoticon?

[holly]

Was sending a 7 year old down the block at 9:30 at night to a corner store enough to raise eyebrows in 1981 like it is now? I was still too young in '81 to understand what was run of the mill back then.

IME, yes. I was 10 in 1981 & I didn't have any friends whose parents would have sent them out 9:30 at night alone.
Even when I would be at a friends house down the street, when it was time to go back home, if it was after dark, my mom or dad would stand outside on the sidewalk & watch me walk up the street, or my friends parents would stand outside & watch till I got to my house. It was like this with all the kids on my street that I was friends with. If it was after dark, someone's parents would always be watching to make sure their own kid or their kid's friend got home safely.
I think 7 y/o is really quite young to be running an errand 9:30 at night, even back then.

[Brookie]

My ma used to send me to the drug store, 5 blocks away, with a blank check in my hand to pick up their prescriptions when I was a kid. Nobody thought anything of it. I walked to kindergarten by myself and the rest of school as well. We were ALL taught never to talk to strangers, but there wasn't as much publicity (I guess) about stuff as their is now and we just did not think about it. I played outside all day, away from the house and didn't return home until the streetlights came on. No cell phone to tell ma where I was and she never grilled me about what I'd been doing. Different world.

[Seapharris7]

I'd like for everyone to get closure & those who are responsible to be put to justice... but I have a feeling this guy is a nutjob/fame whore getting his 15 minutes while stories have been blowing up about Etan recently.