The disappearance of Etan Patz, a 6-year-old boy in New York, marked a before and after in the search for missing children in the United States. The little boy disappeared on May 25, 1979, when he was walking alone to the school bus stop, just two blocks from his home, and never returned.
The case shocked the country, and his photograph began to be printed on milk cartons to help find him, becoming one of the most remembered search campaigns in history. Thanks to the media impact, new child protection measures were also promoted, and May 25 was declared National Missing Children’s Day in the United States.
For decades there were suspects, but it was not until 2017 that Pedro Hernández was convicted of the boy’s murder after confessing to the crime. However, Etan’s body was never found, so the mystery continues to have an impact to this day.