Adam Walsh Murder Solved After Report of Serial Killer’s Confession

Ottis Toole, a serial killer who died in prison of cirrhosis in 1996 while serving five life sentences, was finally implicated for the death of Adam Walsh. Ironically, it was due to Toole’s niece relaying his deathbed confession to John Walsh that finally put a solid face on the killer. Adam Walsh was kidnapped in 1981 from a Hollywood, Florida mall while playing in a toy store as his mother Reve Walsh did some shopping. Two weeks later, fisherman found the child’s severed head in a canal more than 120 miles away from the mall. Adam Walsh’s body has never been found. Ottis Toole has long been the only valid suspect Hollywood police had in the murder due to their loss of all solid evidence in the case. John Walsh has said that he had no doubt in his mind that Toole was his son’s killer, citing the clothing found in the suspect’s home and his many prior confessions. Hollywood police evidently wouldn’t accept this evidence as anything but circumstantial, and Toole was allowed to walk away from the charges totally free.

A positive influence came from the tragedy and has launched a national campaign for missing people in the United States, and made caution an everyday part of life. John Walsh became the host of television show “America’s Most Wanted,” an activist for missing and exploited children, and a co-founder of the Center for Missing and Exploited Children. John Walsh turned his family’s tragedy and the loss of Adam into legislation to aid victims, and the creation of a network which aids in the recovery of those who are abducted. Before Adam Walsh’s death, there were no tv shows highlighting cases or criminals, no pictures posted up in stores across the country, and there were no pictures on milk cartons to help find people. Now there is a national center, database, and hotlines devoted to the recovery of missing children. Fingerprinting databases and security at stores and schools were increased following the tragedy. Caution and awareness was created across the country to help in preventing this kind of crime from happening.

In these respects, Adam Walsh’s legacy will live on in the programs and families who have been helped. John Walsh said on the ABC show “Good Morning America” this about the confession of Toole, “This helped us close a chapter. No closure, I hate that word. It’s about justice. It’s not about revenge or vigilantism.” Reve Walsh echoed that sentiment on NBC’s “Today” show saying, “You never get over it. It’s like losing a limb. You just live without it and try to get around it.”