The lawyer for the man who confessed to killing 6-year-old Etan Patz 30 years ago says his client will plead not guilty next month.

Pedro Hernandez, 51, appeared in court Thursday.

He was indicted on murder and kidnapping charges by a grand jury earlier this week after confessing to the crime back in May.

Investigators say he told them he lured the boy into the convenience store where he worked, choked him and left his body in a bag of trash.

However, his attorney is questioning the confession and says his client is mentally ill.

Prosecutors say they believe Hernandez's statement is credible.

Police have spent months trying to corroborate Hernandez's confession.

Etan disappeared in 1979 while walking to school near his SoHo home and his body has never been found.

Former Suspect In Patz Case To Stand Trial In Pennsylvania

A former suspect in the Patz case also appeared in court Thursday.

Jose Antonio Ramos was ordered to stand trial in Pennsylvania for allegedly violating Megan's Law.

Police say he gave them a bogus Bronx address after his release from state prison last week.

An NYPD detective who testified in court said when they tracked down the cousin that Ramos listed as a contact, she said she had no plan to let him live with her.

Detectives say letters intercepted by prison officials indicate Ramos was planning to stay in a New York City hotel with a woman and her grandson, then head out of town.

Ramos just completed a 27-year sentence on child molestation charges.