Murder of John Walsh’s Son Finally Solved

The 1981 murder of Adam Walsh has officially been solved by police, with late serial killer Ottis Toole declared the murderer at a press conference earlier today in Hollywood, Florida. In the more than 25 years since the death of his six-year-old son, Adam’s father John Walsh has become the most famous advocate for missing and exploited children, eventually hosting the show America’s Most Wanted.

Toole, who died in 1996 of liver failure while serving multiple life sentences for murder, first confessed to killing and beheading Adam in 1983, but Florida police did not consider him a suspect. Toole, a paranoid schizophrenic, took responsibilty for hundreds of murders he did not commit. While no DNA evidence was revealed, police now claim the case against Toole is conclusive. Authorities at a press conference today apologized to Walsh, who has consistently argued for Toole’s guilt.

In 1997, Walsh wrote a bestselling book, Tears Of Rage, about his frustration with the Hollywoood Police Department’s efforts to solve his son’s murder. “This is not to look back and point fingers, but it is to let it rest,” said Walsh today.

[Photos: John Walsh/Getty Images]