Etan Patz

On the morning of Friday, May 25 , 1979 , six-year-old Etan put on his prized blue captain's hat and left his SoHo apartment by himself - for the very first time - to walk the two blocks to catch the school bus. His mother, Julie, watched from the window until her son turned the corner, where the bus stop was located. Etan never made it to the bus stop.

When he didn't return home from school at 3:15 that afternoon, his parents reported him missing. An intense search, utilizing nearly 100 police officers and a team of bloodhounds, began that evening and would continue for weeks. Various circumstances surrounding this case, such as it being Etan's first time outside alone, made it into a greatly media-driven incident. He is arguably the most famous missing child of New York City .

On October 23 , 1999 , the '' New York Post '', in a special feature on missing children, reported that a Pedophile by the name of Jose Antonio Ramos imprisoned in Pennsylvania for abusing two children there was the prime suspect in Etan's disappearance.

In 2003, Ramos, who was a friend of Etan's one-time baby-sitter, confessed to his murder. He promised that no body would be found, and police believe he Cannibal ized the body. During the confession, Ramos made a claim to the effect that he had not killed the child on May 25 , 1979 but had held the boy in his apartment for several months, which was located within yards of the Patzes' building.

Etan was declared legally dead in 2001. His parents, Stanley and Julie Patz, pursued a Civil Case against Ramos, who was found liable for Patz's wrongful death in May 2004. They were awarded a sum of $2 million, which they have never collected, as Ramos is serving a prison term for molesting boys in Pennsylvania. He will be eligible for parole in 2014. Without evidence of a body or a crime scene, New York investigators do not believe they will ever be able to convict Ramos for Patz's death.

Each year, on the anniversary of Etan's birthday and his disappearance, Stan Patz sends Ramos a copy of his son's MISSING poster. On the back he types the same message: "What have you done to my little boy?"

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Etan Patz

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