Hollywood, FL police investigators announced that they are closing the more than 25-year investigation into the abduction and murder of 6-year-old Adam Walsh, who disappeared from a local shopping mall in 1981. His severed head was found two weeks later in a canal 120 miles away from the mall abduction site.
In the well-publicized case, police officials never recovered the child’s body and no suspect was ever captured and charged in the case.
Adam Walsh’s parents, John and Reve, used their grief to launch a national campaign for missing children, including the long-running and successful TV show America’s Most Wanted.
Police say they will name deceased drifter Ottis Toole as the boy’s killer. Toole is considered one of the most prolific serial killers in history.
A convicted pedophile who died in prison in 1996, Toole twice confessed to killing Adam Walsh-and twice recanted his story saying he had made it up.
In 1976, Toole met Henry Lee Lucas. They developed a homosexual relationship with each other. Both would later claim to have committed hundreds of murders, sometimes at the behest of a secret organization, “The Hand of Death.”
Lucas and Toole’s relationship was the basis for the acclaimed motion picture “Diary of a Serial Killer.”
Meanwhile in 1983, Toole laid claim to the murder of Adam Walsh. A few weeks after Toole made the confession, however, police investigating the case announced that they no longer considered him a suspect.
Adam’s father, John, has always maintained that he believes Toole was his child’s killer. On December 16, 2008, Hollywood, Florida police announced Toole as the official suspect and that the Adam Walsh case would be closed.
On September 15, 1996, at the age of 49, Ottis Toole died in prison cell from liver disease. He was buried in a prison cemetery since no one ever claimed his remains.
Jim Kouri, CPP is currently fifth vice-president of the National Association of Chiefs of Police and he’s a staff writer for the New Media Alliance (thenma.org). In addition, he’s the new editor for the House Conservatives Fund’s weblog. Kouri also serves as political advisor for Emmy and Golden Globe winning actor Michael Moriarty.
He’s former chief at a New York City housing project in Washington Heights nicknamed “Crack City” by reporters covering the drug war in the 1980s. In addition, he served as director of public safety at a New Jersey university and director of security for several major organizations. He’s also served on the National Drug Task Force and trained police and security officers throughout the country. Kouri writes for many police and security magazines including Chief of Police, Police Times, The Narc Officer and others. He’s a news writer for TheConservativeVoice.Com and PHXnews.com. He’s also a columnist for AmericanDaily.Com, MensNewsDaily.Com, MichNews.Com, and he’s syndicated by AXcessNews.Com. He’s appeared as on-air commentator for over 100 TV and radio news and talk shows including Oprah, McLaughlin Report, CNN Headline News, MTV, Fox News, etc. His book Assume The Position is available at Amazon.Com. Kouri’s own website is located at http://jimkouri.us
