Tonight while I was enjoying Jeopardy, the show was interrupted for breaking news.  Usually, this "important" news is something minimal and can wait until the end of the show.  I was annoyed.

Then I heard what it was all about.  It seems that after 33 years, the NYPD have made an arrest in the case of a missing 7 year old child Etan Patz who was walking alone to the school bus stop for the very first time..  This child was only a year younger than my son who also had just started walking to school alone.

I don't remember any story of this type that has affected me so much.  I felt so sorry for his parents and couldn't imagine how they must have felt.

Over the years, this case came to the media's attention, but there was never a definite answer.  There is one child molester who is in prison on another case who was a suspect and about a month ago, the NYPD searched a basement in the neighborhood, but found nothing.

Until today that is.  The suspect lived in the neighborhood when he was 19.  Evidently, the police received a tip from someone who said that the suspect has told people that he did a bad thing, he killed a child in New York.  Apparently, he said this a few times over the years.  I wonder why no one has come forward with this information.

According to his confession, he strangled the child, wrapped the body in plastic and put it in the trash.  What a horrible end for this little boy.

It must be somewhat of a relief for the parents to know for certain what happened, but that doesn't bring their child back.

I always hoped that some day he would be found and there would be a happy homecoming.  All I can do now is pray for his parents and hope they can find some peace now.

As an aside, he was one of the first missing children who's photo appeared on a milk carton.

Good work NYPD!