Etan Patz lone holdout juror speaks out to Eyewitness News

NEW YORK (WABC) -- Just what happened to 6-year-old Etan Patz in SoHo decades ago remains a mystery, but 11 jurors are convinced Pedro Hernandez knows the answer. One juror, however disagreed, forcing a judge to declare a mistrial on Friday. Now, that juror is speaking out about the decision he says will remain on his conscience for life.

After nearly three months of testimony, followed by 18 days of deliberations, Adam Sirois' decision tipped the scales in the long awaited Etan Patz trial. Although Pedro Hernandez confessed on camera to kidnapping and killing 6-year-old Etan in 1979, Sirois says he just could not find Hernandez guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

"There was a discussion about how the confession kind of changes over time - the inconsistency of some of the facts or evidence that stood said in those confessions over time," said Sirois.

Tasked with weighing the entire body of evidence in the case, Sirois questioned how Hernandez's confession was obtained by police, as well as his mental state. He also calls the evidence connecting Hernandez to the crime circumstantial at best. During deliberations, Sirois says several jurors changed their minds, and it wasn't until Friday morning that he found out he was alone.

"It started 8-4, it moved to approximately 6-6 - there were some unsure votes in there. 9-3, 10-2 and then 11-1, so there was a progress that went along," says Sirois, "It was hard to know that I was the last one on the 'not guilty' side, but I couldn't vote the other way."

The jury forewoman screamed at Hernandez before leaving the courtroom on Friday.

Sirois says not only this case, but his decision will undoubtedly remain with him for life.

"I feel very badly for them - I'm very sorry for them, but not because of my decision. I'm very sorry because Etan was a beautiful boy, and what happened to him, it should not have happened," Sirois added, "I'm just sorry for them in general - it's a terrible thing to go through."