Hollywood (FL) Police Identify Killer of Adam Walsh (son of John Walsh)...

[Dennis Donovan]

On MSNBC, Hollywood police identify Ottis Toole as the killer of 7 year old Adam Walsh in 1981.

Closure for John & Reve. Finally...

(On edit: John and I share a hometown - Auburn, NY)

[IndyOp]

1. After so long would it help to know? 27 years. 27 years. (n/t)

[GreenPartyVoter]

5. Maybe. Your baby is still your baby, even after so long.

[EFerrari]

6. My aunt was killed about sixty years ago in Mexico City.

The family would still like to know who and how.

It's hard to believe the Walsh case is that old, though.

[SoCalDem]

7. YES.. it would help..it does help

Nothing brings that child back, but there is some comfort in knowing who did it..and that the person is locked up/caught...so they can never hurt another child..

[Dennis Donovan]

9. Even better, Ottis Toole is dead...

[NightHawk63]

16. Wasn't he the sidekick of Henry Lee Lucas...

the nut that confessed to hundreds of murders across the country

[gkhouston]

17. Yes. n/t

[Book Lover]

14. Practice some compassion with the murdered child's parents and maybe you'll find the answer (nm)

[blm]

21. Yes. Of course it would. It's called justice.

.

[Mari333]

2. there really never is closure

but at least they wont have to wonder anymore about who did it.

[Subdivisions]

3. It's incredible what John Walsh and Reve have done since the

loss of their child. John Walsh is obviously the force behind America's Most Wanted but his wife Reve's efforts, following the murder of their son Adam, led to the creation of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

They will be immortalized for their works.

[SoCalDem]

4. and yet newsette never bothered to read up on it..

Kyra Phillips just said (paraphrasing).."Adam..playing with friends..never returned home..blah blah blah.."..

He was with his Mom at SEARS...in the lamp department..

I remember vividly, because our son was about his age, and every time we went to Sears, we always parked near the entrance that took us right through the small appliance & lamps section...:(..and my son used to try to wander off, all the time....

[Dennis Donovan]

8. It was a big deal in Auburn...

I went to school with John's brother and sister.

[peace frog]

11. My cousin attended the small private school

with Adam Walsh. It was a HUGE deal in FLorida.

[sandnsea]

10. Playing video games in Sears

and was thrown out of the store with a bunch of other kids, but I've left my kids in the toy aisle for a few minutes myself. But it is pathetic that a news reporter doesn't bother to learn something before they open their mouth on one of the most reported disappearances in our history.

[peace frog]

12. The Sears security guard

did not trouble herself to determine which kids were causing trouble, and threw them all out of the store. Adam was very quickly snatched once he was alone outside.

[carlyhippy]

13. this is such a tragedy, if only sears had delved further instead of tossing out the kids

it's a shame. I was always so paranoid I didn't let my kids out of my sight because of this case. ottis toole will burn in hell for this, or if there is a worse punishment please let it be for this animal. Anyone who harms a child like toole should be executed on the spot. I know that isn't very nice, but there should be NO exceptions for people who harm children.

[gkhouston]

15. I thought he'd been identified as the likely culprit years ago.

Yeah, I know Lucas confessed, but he was a couple of hammers short of a hardware store. Not that that made him any less lethal.

[Dennis Donovan]

18. I think, today, the authorites made it official.

[peace frog]

19. I'm concerned about the identification, too

Ottis Toole and Henry Lee Lucas roamed around the country together and claim to have committed many murders together and separately, most of said claims having been debunked. If the police have forensic evidence, that could be convincing in a court of law. Attributing the murder to Toole simply because he claims to be the perpetrator is questionable at the very least.

[gkhouston]

20. I think it would probably take forensice evidence to convince the Walshes after all this time.

What a nightmare for them.

[RaleighNCDUer]

22. The guy confessed twice, and withdrew the confession each time.

Unless there is new evidence, there is no reason to believe this is true.

The police just closed the case by pinning it on someone who is dead, and cannot answer the charge.

[Dennis Donovan]

23. I doubt the Walshs would accept today's decision on just flimsy evidence..

For them to accept it, the Hollywood PD must have much more than just his (twice-recanted) confessions.

[RaleighNCDUer]

24. Well, I hope for their sake, and for all of us, that this is correct.

Otherwise, there may still be a child killer out there.

I would like to know what proof there is - it wouldn't be the first time that the police have pinned a cold case on a conveniently dead suspect, just to clear the books.

[peace frog]

25. So it appears

I'm unconvinced of Toole's culpability without solid evidence, but it's moot as the case is closed.