Police come up empty in new search for Etan Patz

Six year old went missing in 1979 while walking to the bus on his own for the first time

(JTA) — The latest round in the more than 30-year police search for Etan Patz ended without finding any “obvious human remains.”

On Monday, police ended the search for Etan, who was 6 years old when he disappeared near his parents’ New York apartment in 1979, without finding any substantial new evidence, according to reports.

The search had begun again three weeks ago when police believed a basement on Prince Street in lower Manhattan, which was on Etan’s route to his school bus when he disappeared, may have contained new evidence that would identify his abductor. Etan was walking to the bus on his own for the first time.

At the time of the Jewish boy’s disappearance, the basement housed the workshop of Othniel Miller, a handyman. Miller had given Etan a dollar the day before his disappearance for running an errand. Soon after Etan’s disappearance, a new concrete floor was poured in the basement.

After finding no human remains, however, police have not charged Miller. Police have been unable to identify Etan’s abductor.