Cold Open

LISTENER NOTE: This episode contains references to violence that may not be suitable for all audiences.

It’s August 27th, 1981 in Hollywood, Florida.

It’s a sweltering summer’s day and 33-year-old Revé Drew Walsh is happy for any excuse to get out of the heat. So, a little after noon, she heads to the mall to pick up a pair of lamps she’s seen in the Sears catalog.

Tagging along is her son, Adam. In green shorts, yellow flip-flops, and a white captain’s hat, the six-year-old boy is hard to miss as he trots through the department store at his mother’s side. On their way to the lamps, the pair walk through the toy section, at the center of which is a big-screen television with the latest video game console attached. As usual, Adam tugs on his mother’s hand and asks if he can stop to play.

There are plenty of other kids milling around, each waiting for a go at the game, so Revé figures Adam will at least have some company while she picks up the lamps. She points toward the furniture corner of the store, less than a hundred feet away, and tells him that’s where she’ll be.

After a few minutes of waiting, a salesperson tells Revé that the lamps she wants aren’t in stock, so she leaves her name and phone number, and returns to the video game, expecting to find Adam.

But he’s not there. None of the children are.

Trying to stay calm, Revé wanders through the aisles, looking for adults she can ask for help.

But there’s little anyone can do beyond suggesting places for Revé to look. As the minutes tick by, she starts to feel that something is very wrong. Adam is not the sort to wander off, despite the store employees suggesting that’s probably what happened.

Through it all, Revé is terrified to venture far from the toy section. She’s hopeful that Adam will come back to the spot to find her if she just stays still.

Eventually, Revé is relieved to see her mother-in-law walking past the store. Together, the two of them venture out into the mall and start dashing into other stores to ask if anyone has seen Adam. Revé remembers she has a photograph of him in her purse, and shows it to people, hopeful it will trigger a response. But it’s no use.

After two frantic hours, everyone in Sears knows Revé is looking for her son, but it’s clear that Adam Walsh is gone. Someone calls the police, and a pair of patrol cars roll into the mall parking lot shortly after. The officers write down some details but don’t seem terribly concerned – at least not to Revé. It feels like no one realizes that her six-year-old son has vanished.

Though no one seemed overly concerned at the time, in the days that follow, news of Adam Walsh’s case will spread rapidly, and soon almost every parent in the country will seem to know his name. Adam’s disappearance will affect far more than just his family. The Walsh's story will raise the profile of missing children throughout the United States and shatter the illusion of safety that permeated much of the 20th century, after the search for Adam Walsh comes to a heartbreaking end on August 10th, 1981.

Introduction

From Noiser and Airship, I’m Lindsay Graham and this is History Daily.

History is made every day. On this podcast—every day—we tell the true stories of the people and events that shaped our world.

Today is August 10th, 1981: The Murder of Adam Walsh.

Act One: Amplified

It’s August 10th, 1981 in central Florida.

A pair of citrus field workers walk alongside a drainage canal off the Florida turnpike. The two have just been fishing in a nearby river, and are chatting about the day’s haul when one of them catches sight of something in the water. He slows his steps just slightly, and squints against the bright sun, trying to make out what's floating at the surface.

Bewildered, he points the object out to his friend, and after getting as close as they dare, they both agree – it looks like a human head.

Until that moment, the scent from the nearby citrus groves floated in the air, perfuming a perfect summer day. But now, the fishermen notice that the smell from the canal seems more prominent – like there’s a stench of death in the air.

They rush to the nearest phone to call the police and hope they’re wrong about what they’ve found.

***

Less than 24 hours later, Revé Walsh and her husband, John, are in New York City, preparing to speak to millions of Americans. It’s been just over two weeks since their son, Adam, vanished from a department store, but they’re still hopeful they’ll find him safe and sound.

Since Adam disappeared, the Walshes have marshaled law enforcement to search for him and made plenty of noise to ensure everyone is on the lookout for their son. John is an experienced marketer and designed a simple but eye-catching flier featuring a description of Adam, a photograph of the 6-year-old in his baseball uniform, and an offer of a $5,000 reward. They’ve printed close to a million of these posters, to be hung in locations all across the country. They’ve also spoken to local radio stations and TV networks, pleading for Adam to come home.

Now, they’re ready to call for help on an even larger platform. Today, they’re getting ready for an appearance on Good Morning America where they plan to speak about Adam. In addition to asking for viewers’ help, the couple hopes to finally catch the attention of their son, wherever he is, and let him know that they’re waiting for him to come home.

But that’s not all they’re going to do. The mother of another missing child and a director for a missing children’s charity are due to also appear on the segment with them. Both women have been trying for years to make the kind of progress the Walshes have, and they’ve asked John for help, requesting he hold up pictures of other missing children on air, and help amplify their stories too. This is a moment that parents in their positions don’t get very often, and they want to make the most of it.

John realizes that as a man, he might be a more commanding voice to speak out for these children. No one seems to have paid attention to the desperate mothers searching for answers, but perhaps things will be different if the plea comes from a father instead.

So with their interview just hours away, the Walshes steel themselves to speak to a national audience. But before the car arrives to take them to the studio, a call comes through to their hotel room. It’s someone from Florida who wants the name of Adam’s dentist. Remains have been found about 130 miles away from Hollywood, and there’s a chance it’s Adam. But they need to compare the teeth in the found body to his dental records.

A little after that, a television producer calls. They’ve also heard about the remains in the canal, and want to know if John and Revé are still willing to go on the air, or if, knowing about the development, it might be too painful.

John tells the producer that they’ll go ahead with the interview. It’s possible that whoever the police have found in Florida is not Adam, and that this interview might be the thing that brings their son home. Besides, he and Revé want to show the pictures of the other missing children and drum up as much publicity for their fellow grieving families as they can.

That afternoon, hours after the interview, John is in his hotel room when another call comes through, and it’s the one he’s been dreading all day. They’ve identified the remains from the canal – and it is Adam.

Despite the crushing end to the search for their son, the Walshes have started something larger, sounding an alarm that puts parents around the country on high alert. Over the coming years, John and Revé become fierce victims' advocates, specifically focused on missing children.

In October of 1983, a movie about Adam’s case is broadcast on television, and watched by 38 million people. After the airing, John and Revé show photos of other missing children and ask people to call a dedicated hotline with any information. The film airs again in 1984, and 1985, each time displaying more photos of missing kids.

These efforts will lead to the safe return of 13 children, but they’ll also contribute to the rising panic about child abductions in America. At its height, numbers will circulate that state 1.5 million children are reported missing every year, and 50,000 of those are abducted by strangers. But contrary to these numbers, the FBI only investigates 67 cases of kidnap by strangers in 1984.

Still, despite statistics that should alleviate parents’ fears, Adam Walsh’s case will contribute to the dawn of a new era. From this point forward, children will be kept on tighter leashes, and the phrase “stranger danger” will enter the vocabulary of young families everywhere.

And for the Walshes, the search for Adam’s killer will continue. Though the rest of their son’s body will never be found, the family will hold a funeral for Adam. But even after laying their son to rest, the Walshes will never stop searching for answers.

Act Two: Confession

It’s October 21st, 1983, two years after Adam Walsh was abducted and murdered.

A detective steps through the doors of Florida State Prison where an inmate has requested a meeting.

In any other instance, the detective probably wouldn’t have rushed over to the prison so quickly, but today is different. The inmate in question, Ottis Toole, has sent word that he has information regarding the boy everyone’s been talking about: Adam Walsh.

Just under two weeks ago, the TV movie Adam was aired across the US, reaching tens of millions of viewers, and raising the profile of missing children everywhere. In the 11 days since the movie aired, there’s been renewed interest in the already sensational case.

As the detective passes through the various security checkpoints, he wonders what kind of information Toole has to offer. Perhaps he’s heard rumors about another inmate’s involvement in Adam’s murder and wants to see if he can make a trade for information. Then again, maybe he’s just bored and looking for an excuse to leave his cell for an hour.

Settling down in the cramped meeting room, the detective prepares a tape recorder and checks that his pen is working. Then he signals for the prisoner to be shown in.

At 36 years old, Ottis Toole is already a convicted killer awaiting sentencing for at least one murder, and soon to face trial for another, a record more than enough to make the detective’s hair stand on end when Toole shuffles into the room. The detective waits patiently as the guard shackles Toole to a bolt in the floor and then leaves. Once they’re alone, the detective surveys Toole carefully: his thinning, straggly hair, his protruding ears, and discolored teeth.

Then, with little preamble, Toole launches into a story, telling the detective in graphic detail how, in July of 1981, he kidnapped, assaulted, and murdered Adam Walsh.

The detective listens as Toole tells him how he used candy and toys to lure the six-year-old to his car in the parking lot outside Sears. After driving for a while with the frightened boy, Toole beat him, then cut off his head, which he threw into a drainage canal off the Florida turnpike.

Listening to this story the detective is sickened, but what makes it worse is how closely it matches the details of the case – and how much it seems like it could be true.

In the days following Ottis Toole’s confession, news outlets around the country announce that the murder of Adam Walsh has been solved. Investigators who have been working the case for two years confirm that Toole has long been their prime suspect and that his confession simply confirms what they believed, but couldn’t prove.

And at first, it’s a relief to know that the killer is behind bars, unable to hurt any more children. But that sense of comfort curdles as Toole keeps talking. Already facing the death penalty for one murder, and a trial for another on the way, the prisoner keeps confessing to more and more slayings. If Toole’s stories are to be believed, then he is responsible for over a hundred murders.

But proving his claims is another matter.

Part of the issue is Toole’s credibility. Many of his confessions are corroborated by Henry Lee Lucas, Toole’s one-time travel companion, and possible lover. But Lucas is notorious for his nickname: ‘The Confession Killer’.

In his lifetime, Lucas confesses to over 600 murders, earning himself a fearsome reputation as the country’s most prolific serial killer. Toole and Lucas back each other’s claims, admitting to being accomplices for many of their partner’s murders, which helps investigators close countless cold cases. But eventually, it’s revealed that Lucas is just a cooperative interviewee who likely admitted to crimes as a way to earn perks like fast food and trips outside the prison to search for victims’ bodies. It seems likely that neither of the men committed most of the crimes they’ve confessed to, and eventually, they both recant their confessions.

But at least some of the murder charges stick. Toole receives two death sentences, which are later commuted to life behind bars. But he’s never charged in Adam Walsh’s death. When he was first arrested for an unrelated crime, Toole’s car was impounded, and records note that there were blood stains inside. After his confession, investigators wanted to test that blood to see if it matches Adam’s, but no one can find the vehicle. It’s been lost, and, with it, any hope of proving Toole’s guilt. Because despite his bold claims and the chilling details he offers about the crime, Toole never leads investigators to the rest of Adam’s remains.

For the rest of his life, Ottis Toole will remain the key suspect in the case, but in 1996, he will die of cirrhosis, still maintaining his innocence despite his confession. As the years stretch on, getting further and further from the crime that shook families around the country, the hope of conclusively finding Adam’s killer will fade. Eventually, though, the Walsh family will finally find closure.

Act Three: Legacy

It’s December 16th, 2008 in Hollywood, Florida, 27 years after the murder of Adam Walsh.

In the Police Department’s bustling press briefing room, authorities prepare to update the media on the status of an infamous case.

As the town's Police Chief steps up to the microphone, the chatter in the room dies down. At the policeman’s side are Adam’s parents, Revé and John Walsh. In the years since his son’s murder, John has become a nationally recognized figure. Since 1988, he’s hosted the long-running America’s Most Wanted, which uses re-enactments of crimes to encourage viewers to come forward with information that could help locate perpetrators.

But today though, John is in front of the cameras as the father of his murdered child. Cameras flash as the Police Chief announces that authorities are closing Adam’s case. After a careful review of all available evidence, and with the Walshes’ blessing, investigators are satisfied that Ottis Toole was responsible for the murder.

The announcement marks an end to Adam’s story, though not to his legacy. In the years following the young boy’s murder, his parents testified before Congress on matters such as victim’s rights, missing children, and state criminal laws. They successfully lobbied for legislation to protect children, resulting in the Missing Children Act of 1982, the Missing Children’s Assistance Act of 1984, and the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006. 

In the 1990s, many department stores and malls across the United States also adopted a system dubbed ‘Code Adam’, which mobilizes staff the moment a child is reported missing or found alone in a store. All entrances to the store are locked, with team members posted at each door, and a description of the child is broadcast over the intercom. It will prove a simple but effective tactic to prevent more parents from the pain the Walshes went through when their son’s remains were found on August 10th, 1981.

Outro

Next on History Daily. August 11th, 1965. Sparked by allegations of police brutality, racial tensions boil over in Los Angeles, igniting the Watts Rebellion.

From Noiser and Airship, this is History Daily, hosted, edited, and executive produced by me, Lindsay Graham.

Audio editing by Muhammad Shahzaib.

Sound design by Mollie Baack.

Music by Lindsay Graham.

This episode is written and researched by Joel Callen.

Executive Producers are Alexandra Currie-Buckner for Airship, and Pascal Hughes for Noiser.