Etan Patz Case Reopened After 30 Years
Patz Was First Missing Child on Milk Carton
Etan Patz's face was the first to be featured on milk cartons in the wake of his disappearance in 1979. Police and FBI in New York have reopened the investigation and have begun searching for the famous boy.
It is unknown what led to the FBI and NYPD joining forces to search for Patz, who disappeared in 1979. But what is known is that the FBI and NYPD will be doing some demolition this week: tearing down a brick wall and excavating a concrete floor.
"The FBI and the NYPD are looking for evidence in the Etan Patz investigation," FBI spokesman Tim Flannley told the Associated Press. "It's one of many leads that we're pursuing. It is a joint matter between the FBI and NYPD and no conclusions should be made about specifically why we're here or what we're looking for."
Get Our Latest News for FREE
Reports state that one person of interest is a handyman from Patz's building. Before the boy's disappearance, Patz would often help the handyman for $1. A concrete floor was laid in the basement around the time of Patz's vanishing, and police are now going to excavate the floor for possible clues.
"We obviously are looking to bring closure to the investigation and to the family but that'll be determined throughout the course of this case. We are obviously optimistic that we might find evidence, but again, people shouldn't draw conclusions from this. We're doing the best we can to bring closure in this matter," Flannley added.
The NYPD and FBI are currently searching the Patz's home, located on Prince Street between Wooster and West Broadway in Manhattan. Patz was the first child ever depicted on milk cartons; thousands of missing children have since been on the cartons with the hope of information and leads.
In 2001, Etan Paz was legally declared dead and in 2004, Jose Ramos was found guilty of the child's murder. Ramos was an admitted child molester who was dating Patz's babysitter in 1979. He is due to be released from prison after serving a 20-year sentence for abusing an 8-year-old boy.
