New York (CNN)Around 100 potential jurors made their way into a Manhattan courtroom Monday morning, as Pedro Hernandez, alleged killer of 6-year-old Etan Patz, looked on. Hernandez, joined by his attorneys, Harvey Fishbein and Alice Fontier, sat in court opposite prosecutors from the Manhattan District Attorney's Office as jury selection for the criminal case began. In May 2012, Hernandez confessed to choking the boy to death in New York City in 1979, according to police. The potential jurors were asked to review a list of 131 names of potential witnesses and disclose whether they knew anyone on the list. "The publicity surrounding this case is ... unprecedented," said presiding Judge Maxwell Wiley, urging the possible jurors not to read any media reports on the case.Pedro Hernandez is accused of killing 6-year-old Etan Patz in 1979Hernandez confessed, but his attorneys say his low IQ and mental issues make confession invalidA judge ruled in November that the confession was admissible in court
_ previously argued that his client falsely confessed and the statements were not reliable because Hernandez has an "IQ in the borderline-to-mild mental retardation range," and had been repeatedly diagnosed with schizophrenia.