Adam Walsh, Whose Disappearance Inspired ‘America’s Most Wanted’

The abduction and murder of six-year-old Adam Walsh in 1981 was a case that shocked the nation and forever changed the way we think about child safety. Here is a detailed look at the events surrounding Adam's abduction and the impact it had on society.

What Happened on That Fateful Day?

On July 27, 1981, six-year-old Adam Walsh was shopping with his mother, Reve Walsh, at a Sears department store in Hollywood, Florida.

Reve had intended to inquire about a lamp that was on sale and had left Adam at a kiosk with Atari 2600 video games on display, where several other boys were taking turns playing them. She completed her business in the lamp department around 12:15 p.m. When she returned, she found that Adam and the other boys had disappeared.

A store manager informed her that a scuffle had broken out over whose turn it was at the kiosk and that a security guard had demanded that the boys leave the store. The security guard asked the older boys if their parents were present, and they said that they were not.

Adam's parents believed that their son had been too shy to speak to the security guard, who presumed that he was in the company of the other boys and made him leave by the same door that the other boys had entered (the Sears west entrance). They believe that after the other boys dispersed, Adam was left alone outside the store at an exit that was unfamiliar to him.

Two weeks later, fishermen discovered Adam's decapitated head in a canal about 120 miles away from Hollywood. His body was never found. The investigation into Adam's abduction and murder would become one of the most high-profile cases in American history.

The Investigation

The investigation into Adam Walsh's abduction was plagued with miscommunication, incompetence, and missed opportunities. The Hollywood Police Department was criticized for their mishandling of the case, and many believe that crucial evidence was lost or destroyed due to their negligence.

Following an extensive investigation, the police eventually concluded that Adam was abducted by a drifter named Ottis Toole near the front exterior of Sears, after being instructed to leave by a security guard. Toole confessed to luring Adam into his white 1971 Cadillac with promises of toys and candy. He then drove north on Interstate 95 toward his home in Jacksonville.

According to Toole's account, Adam was initially docile and compliant, but he began to panic as they drove on. Toole punched him in the face in an attempt to subdue him, but this only made the situation worse. Toole then resorted to "walloping him unconscious."

While Adam was unconscious, Toole drove north on the Florida Turnpike and eventually stopped at a deserted service road just north of the Radebaugh Road overpass in northwest St. Lucie County.

Upon realizing that Adam was still breathing, Toole strangled him to death with a seat belt. He then dragged Adam out of the car, decapitated him with a machete, and claimed to have incinerated the body in an old refrigerator upon his return to Jacksonville. Toole later claimed that he had wanted to make Adam his adopted son, but this was deemed unfeasible.

Ottis Elwood Toole was a convicted American serial killer who was found guilty of six counts of murder.

Toole was never formally charged in Adam's case, despite providing seemingly accurate descriptions of how he had committed the crime.

Aftermath of Adam Walsh's Kidnapping

The aftermath of Adam's abduction was also significant. Reve Walsh and her husband, John Walsh, became advocates for missing and exploited children and went on to create the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

John Walsh also became the host of the popular television show "America's Most Wanted," which highlighted cases of missing persons and fugitives.