Who was the first missing child to be printed on a milk carton?

Etan Patz

The sad association between milk cartons and missing children began in 1979, when 6-year old Etan Patz was kidnapped and never seen again. This week, a New York City jury found 56-year old Pedro Hernandez guilty of second-degree murder and first-degree kidnapping, after the man confessed to the crimes in 2012. Hernandez was a teenager at the time of the killing, and Patz’s body has never been found. Other sad cases of missing children have led to more laws and efforts to keep children safe, including Amber Alerts, Megan’s Law, and the famous crime show America’s Most Wanted. Source: NPR

Police have arrested a 51-year-old New Jersey man who earlier implicated himself in the 1979 disappearance of Etan Patz, a case that baffled New York City for decades, sparked a nationwide campaign on behalf of missing children and helped make Etan the first child whose picture was posted on the side of a milk carton.