NEW YORK (AP) — A notorious 1979 missing-child case will go to trial a third time after New York prosecutors vowed Tuesday to retry the man whose murder conviction was recently overturned in the disappearance of 6-year-old Etan Patz. In a case long burdened by time and uncertainty, a new group of prosecutors will attempt to bring back witnesses and piece together memories to convince another jury that Pedro Hernandez lured and killed the boy as he made his way to a New York City school bus stop. “After thorough review, the district attorney has determined that the available, admissible evidence supports prosecuting Hernandez on murder and kidnapping charges,” stated Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Sarah Marquez. The timeline is crucial; jury selection for Hernandez’s retrial must begin by June 1, 2023, or he could be released from prison. Hernandez, now 64, had worked at a nearby store when Etan vanished on May 25, 1979, shortly after his mother allowed him to make the short trip alone. His body was never found, leading to a national focus on child abductions and missing children initiatives. After decades, Hernandez became a suspect when he made inconsistent statements about having killed a child. In 2012, he confessed on video, saying he strangled Etan after coaxing him into a basement. However, his defense team argues that the confession was coerced and that he has mental health issues which affect his reliability. Hernandez previously faced a hung jury in one trial, and following a 2017 retrial, he was convicted and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. A July ruling by a federal appeals court determined his conviction was influenced by a judge's improper response to a jury question concerning his confessions. With the case now back in court, both sides are gearing up for what promises to be a complex legal battle.