Wife of man who confessed to killing Etan Patz says he’s been mentally ill for years
The wife of the man who’s confessed to killing a Manhattan 6-year-old missing since 1979 says he has been mentally ill for years.
Rosemary Hernandez told the New York Daily News through her attorney that Pedro Hernandez has “suffered from delusions.”
Police say Hernandez told them he strangled Etan Patz.
Attorney Robert Gottlieb says Hernandez’s wife wants the prosecutor to understand the severity of his mental illness. The DA has yet to bring the case to a grand jury.
Gottlieb said police have repeatedly tried to question Rosemary Hernandez since her husband’s arrest at the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office last month.
The lawyer said she fully cooperated when he was arrested and now feels harassed.
Police are working to corroborate Pedro Hernandez’s claims. His lawyer says he suffers from schizophrenia.
WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.