Conviction overturned for man accused of killing missing six-year-old

Legal Proceedings - A federal appeals court overturned Pedro Hernandez's 2017 conviction in the disappearance of Eton Pates [1] - The appeals court cited prejudicial jury instructions during deliberations as the reason for overturning the conviction [1] - The case lacked physical evidence and heavily relied on Hernandez's confession [1] - Hernandez, with a history of mental illness, confessed after approximately 7 hours of questioning before being read his Miranda rights [1] - Hernandez later recanted his confession, leading to a hung jury in the initial 2015 trial [1] Case Details - Six-year-old Eton Pates disappeared on May 25th, 1979 [1]