Supreme Court Reinstates Conviction In Etan Patz Murder: Inside Case That Changed Parenting In U.S.

Supreme Court Reinstates Conviction In Etan Patz Murder: Inside Case That Changed Parenting In U.S.

On the morning of May 25th, 1979, 6-year-old Etan Patz was allowed to walk to the bus stop alone for the first time. It was only about a two-block jaunt from his family’s apartment in New York City’s SoHo neighborhood. But he never made it to school that Friday — Etan vanished without a trace before ever stepping foot on the bus. He was one of the first missing children to be featured on a milk carton, and on the fourth anniversary of Etan’s disappearance, President Ronald Reagan declared May 25th as ‘National Missing Children’s Day.’ More than 30 years after his disappearance, a tip led to the arrest of Pedro Hernandez, who was an 18-year-old working at a bodega near the Patz’s apartment the day Etan went missing. Hernandez ultimately admitted to police that he killed Patz in a confession that was viewed as controversial. Hernandez had a history of mental illness, and confessed once before being read his rights, and then multiple times after. It was only after his first confession did police officers start recording his interview. Hernandez’s 2015 trial ended in a hung jury, but two years later, he was convicted of first-degree kidnapping and second-degree murder. In July 2025, a federal appeals court overturned the conviction due to the way the judge answered a question from the jury regarding Hernandez’s first confession. But this week, in a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court reinstated Hernandez’s murder conviction. Joining “Forbes True Crime” to discuss is documentarian and host of the podcast “Sinister,” Josh Zeman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Attorney Breaks Down Karen Read's Lawsuit Against Two Police Agencies: 'Pretty Strong Case'

What happened at 34 Fairview Road in the early morning hours of January 29th, 2022, is a question that starkly divided a community. John O’Keefe, a 16-year veteran of the Boston Police Department, was found dead in the snow in front of a fellow Boston police officer’s house. Soon, two competing stories emerged. Prosecutors alleged that O’Keefe’s then-girlfriend, Karen Read, hit John with her vehicle while she was drunk and left him to die. Read’s team laid out a different story— they alleged that not only was there no evidence John was hit by a car, but the investigation was corrupt from the start.  After a first trial ended in a hung jury, Read was acquitted on all charges related to the death of O’Keefe in June 2025, and was only found guilty of operating a vehicle under the influence. In June 2026, she sued the Massachusetts State Police and the Canton Police Department. In the lawsuit, she claimed she was “wrongfully prosecuted” and accused the agencies of “negligent hiring, training, and supervision of biased and corrupt police officers.” Criminal defense attorney Skye Lazaro joins “Forbes True Crime” to break down the lawsuit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

No-Body Homicide Expert Reacts To Lynette Hooker's Case Now Investigated As 'Possible Murder'

On the evening of April 4, Lynette and Brian Hooker were aboard a dinghy in the Bahamas making their way to the sailboat they lived on, “Soulmate.” According to authorities, Brian said that just before sundown, rough conditions caused Lynette to fall overboard, and a strong current separated her from the boat. Before he lost sight of her, Brian claimed he saw his wife swimming to shore. According to Brian, Lynette had the key to the boat, so once she was overboard, it lost power. Around nine hours later, Brian ultimately drifted to shore. Days later, he was arrested and detained in the Bahamas over his wife’s disappearance, but he was released from custody without being charged— and still staunchly denies any wrongdoing. Two months after she vanished, Lynette’s disappearance is reportedly being investigated as a “possible murder.” This comes as the U.S. Coast Guard is searching in new areas after a U.S. official reportedly said that GPS data conflicts with Brian’s story. On Thursday, CBS reported the Coast Guard seized the 8-foot dinghy Lynette was on the night she went missing. Tad DiBiase, a former federal prosecutor and an expert in no-body homicide cases, joins “Forbes True Crime” to discuss the latest developments. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

'Could This Happen To Me?': Docuseries Shows How Squatters Find Loopholes To Live In A Home For Free

A video of a Queens woman’s 2024 arrest sparked national outrage after going viral— she was attempting to protect her home, a place that was in her family for years, from a squatter who had changed the locks and was illegally leasing out the rooms to make a profit. Stories like this one, where squatters found ways to game the system, exploit the law, and live in someone else’s home for free, are featured in the new series, “Squatters: Get the F*** Out of My House.” John Henshaw, an executive producer of the docuseries, joined “Forbes True Crime’ to discuss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Podcast Investigates Lane Bryant Murders— America's Largest Unsolved Mass Shooting In 21st Century

On a chilly Saturday morning in February 2008, a gunman who police said was masquerading as a delivery man entered a Lane Bryant in Tinley Park, Illinois. About 40 minutes later, six women, a mix of customers and store employees, were shot execution style. Five died and one survived. By the time law enforcement arrived on the scene, the gunman slipped out of the store. Despite police releasing a sketch of the suspect just days after the tragedy, over 18 years later, his identity still eludes authorities— and a community is still looking for answers. Journalist Delia D’Ambra launched an investigation into the unsolved murders in Season 8 of CounterClock, and joins “Forbes True Crime” to discuss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]