Adam Walsh was six years old when he was abducted from a Sears store in Hollywood, Florida, in 1981. Two weeks later, Walsh's severed head was found in a Vero Beach, Florida, canal. Walsh's body was never found. The murder led Walsh's father, John Walsh, to devote his life to finding missing children and tracking down criminals. Walsh's television show, America's Most Wanted, debuted in 1988.ABC News: Case Closed: Adam Walsh Killer to Be ID'd OrlandoSentinel.com: The Walsh Chronology
On December 16, 2008, investigators announced during a news conference that the Adam Walsh abduction and murder case had been closed. Walsh's murderer was identified as serial killer Ottis Toole, who died in prison in 1996.CNN: Police: Drifter killed Adam Walsh in 1981
References
Fast Facts
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Born
November 14, 1974
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Fact:
Abducted on July 27, 1981
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Fact:
Walsh disappeared from a Sears store in Hollywood Mall in Hollywood, FloridaOrlandoSentinel.com: The Walsh Chronology
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Fact:
Walsh's head was discovered in Vero Beach, Florida, but his body was never foundABC News: Case Closed: Adam Walsh Killer to Be ID'd
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Fact:
On December 16, authorities deemed the Walsh case closed and named Ottis Toole as the murdererCNN: Police: Drifter killed Adam Walsh in 1981
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Fact:
Toole was a serial killer; he twice confessed to murdering Adam Walsh, but recanted each timeCNN: Suspect to be named in '81 Adam Walsh slaying
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Fact:
Toole died in prison of liver failure in 1996
