A federal appeals court ruled Monday that Pedro Hernandez, the man convicted in the 1979 disappearance of 6-year-old Etan Patz​, needs to face a new trial or be released.

Pedro Hernandez, the man convicted of kidnapping and murdering Etan Patz in 1979, should be retried or released, a federal appeals court ruled Monday. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals based its decision on a flawed jury instruction given by a New York state judge about Hernandez's purported confessions.