Adam Walsh: May He Rest in Peace

In 1984 I had an opportunity to meet John Walsh, father of Adam Walsh who was murdered in 1981. His son's death was still very raw, and he talked about his fear for his family. We were at a fundraising event for the advocacy he was doing on behalf of missing children, hosted by the radio station I worked for at the time.

John Walsh turned his tragedy into a mission that has led him to change laws, helping children and their families nationwide.

Maybe now that his sons case has been closed, the torture he has felt for the past 27 years can be put to rest. The Associated Press reports:

A serial killer who died more than a decade ago is the person who decapitated the 6-year-old son of "America's Most Wanted" host John Walsh in 1981, police in Florida said Tuesday. The announcement brought to a close a case that has vexed the Walsh family for more than two decades, launched the television show about the nation's most notorious criminals and inspired changes in how authorities search for missing children.

"Who could take a 6-year-old and murder and decapitate him? Who?" an emotional John Walsh said at Tuesday's news conference. "We needed to know. We needed to know. And today we know. The not knowing has been a torture, but that journey's over." [...]

Police named Ottis Toole, saying he was long the prime suspect in the case and that they had conclusively linked him to the killing. They declined to be specific about their evidence and did not note any DNA proof of the crime, but said an extensive review of the case file pointed only to Toole, as John Walsh long contended.

"Our agency has devoted an inordinate amount of time seeking leads to other potential perpetrators rather than emphasizing Ottis Toole as our primary suspect," said Hollywood Police Chief Chadwick Wagner, who launched a fresh review of the case after taking over the department last year. "Ottis Toole has continued to be our only real suspect."

Toole had twice confessed to killing the child, but later recanted. He claimed responsibility for hundreds of murders, but police determined most of the confessions were lies. Toole's niece told the boy's father, John Walsh, her uncle confessed on his deathbed in prison that he killed Adam.

Wagner acknowledged numerous missteps in the investigation and apologized to the Walshes.

Adam was last seen at a Hollywood, FL, mall on July 27, 1981. Two weeks later his severed head was discovered in a canal 120 miles away. His body was never recovered.

The police have acknowledged they made crucial errors in their handling of the case, and John Walsh has harshly criticized them. But today, he had this to say:

The Walshes, who appeared Tuesday flanked by their other children, long ago derided the investigation as botched. Still, John Walsh praised the Hollywood police department for closing the case.

"This is not to look back and point fingers, but it is to let it rest," he said.

Wishing John Walsh and his family peace this holiday season.

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