John Walsh

Anti-crime activist and author John Walsh is the host of America's Most Wanted. The show features criminals who are wanted by law enforcement. In 1981, Walsh, who was then a partner in a hotel management company, experienced crime first hand when his six-year-old son Adam Walsh kidnapped and murdered.

Since then, Walsh has gone on to become an advocate for missing and exploited children and has worked to legislate tougher crime laws. In 2006, George W. Bush signed the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act which led to the creation of the national sex offender registry.AMW.com: About John Walsh

No one was ever charged with the kidnapping and murder of Adam Walsh. A convicted murderer named Ottis Toole twice confessed to killing the boy, but later recanted his story. Toole died in prison in 1996. In 2001, Walsh told the Miami Herald: "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.MiamiHerald.com: Hollywood Police to Close Adam Walsh Murder Case (December 16, 2008) On December 16, 2008, the case of Adam Walsh's murder was deemed closed and Ottis was named as the killer.CNN: Police: Drifter killed Adam Walsh in 1981 (December 16, 2008)