New York City prosecutors said they will ask the U.S. Supreme Court to reinstate the murder conviction in the 1979 disappearance of 6-year-old Etan Patz after a federal appeals court overturned it in July.

The Manhattan district attorney's office disclosed the plan in a filing Sunday seeking to delay enforcement of the 2nd Circuit's ruling in the case of Pedro Hernandez, a former store clerk convicted in 2017.

Prosecutors argued the decision raises "substantial legal questions" and said they are committed to pursuing high court review. Hernandez, who has served part of a 25-years-to-life sentence, maintains he falsely confessed due to mental illness.

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This article includes reporting by the Associated Press.

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