Ottis Toole Named Killer in Adam Walsh Murder

The case of the tragic murder of the son of America’s Most Wanted host, John Walsh, has finally been closed. (Fox Images)"]
The murder of six-year-old Adam Walsh in 1981 has been officially solved, it was announced today. Adam disappeared at a department store while shopping with his mother Reve, and soon after, the police found the boy’s severed head in a canal. A culprit was identified when two years later, a homeless man, Ottis Toole, who confessed to the murder. However, Toole was never charged and died in prison in 2006.

Adam’s father John Walsh, a businessman at the time at the time of his son’s death, dedicated his life to capturing criminals and became the host of the long-running, successful show, America's Most Wanted, which has led to the capture of over 1,000 criminals over the last 20 years.

NBC aired two movies about John and Reve's life in the aftermath. Adam, in 1983, and Adam: His Song Continues in 1986, which portrayed the tragic story of the Walsh family. The network ran a roll call of missing children at the end of the movies, leading to the recovery of 65 children.

Today, Hollywood Police Chief Chadwick E. Wagner will make a formal announcement at 2:30 p.m. with John and wife Revé, announcing that the case is officially closed and that the late Toole is the murderer.

In 2001 Walsh himself said he believed Toole to be the murderer of his son, saying, "I believe Ottis Toole killed Adam. I believe that Toole is in hell right now, and I believe that he died a horrible death in prison."