Tue, 29 Oct 2013

Who Kidnapped And Murdered Adam Walsh?


The 1970-1980 decades were quite notorious. Political activism, anti-war sentiments and serial killers flourished. What was most grisly about this period was the way murders were being perpetrated and the way justice was served. With cases of missing persons on the rise, most we left unsolved or concluded prematurely. Take the classic example of who kidnapped and murdered Adam Walsh.


Adam Walsh Kidnapped


Adam Walsh aged 6 at the time of murder came with his mother, Revé to Sears Department Store in Hollywood, Florida on July 27, 1981. His mother went to check out a display of lamps a few aisles away and left Adam at an Atari kiosk. When she came back, Adam was gone and was said to have been put out of the store due to fight that erupted at the Atari kiosk. Adam was left alone in a Sears exit that was not familiar to him.

It was at this point that the either Toole or Dahmer was by witness accounts were seen in the vicinity. As to who kidnapped and murdered Adam Walsh would remain a mystery for the next quarter of a century.


Adam's Body Was Never Recovered


Adam's severed head was found in a Florida canal by two fishermen. The rest of his body was never recovered. Perhaps it was done by the perpetrator so authorities will not be able to determine who kidnapped and murdered Adam Walsh. It was thought that Adam was killed by asphyxiation.

At first, the authorities suspected that it was the father John Walsh who kidnapped and murdered Adam Walsh. Perhaps out of lack of leads, as to who kidnapped and murdered Adam Walsh, they suspected the father of perpetrating the crime. The media jumped in and speculations of who kidnapped and murdered Adam Walsh began circulating. The father was later ruled out of foul play.


Clumsy Investigation


It was then that the drifter and alleged confidant of famed killer Henry Lee Lucas, Ottis Toole, became the prime suspect. Toole, the suspect who kidnapped and murdered Adam Walsh by witness accounts was seen around the area in the days leading to Adam's disappearance. Toole, the suspect who kidnapped and murdered Adam Walsh was thought to have lured Adam into his car with toys and candies.

Toole allegedly intended to turn Adam into his adopted son, but given the boy's close relationship with his parents chose to kill him instead. Allegedly, Adam panicked when they started driving away and Toole punched him in the face. This made the situation worse and proceeded to beat the boy unconscious and strangled him. He beheaded the boy with a machete in a deserted service road and incinerated the body. He kept the head for a few days before throwing it in a canal where it was found in Vero Beach.

Adam's family was dissatisfied so far with the investigation. The suspect who kidnapped and murdered Adam Walsh, Ottis Toole was never charged with the crime. The clumsy way with which the police handled the investigation made pinpointing the suspect who kidnapped and murdered Adam Walsh difficult. Pieces of important evidence were lost including the blood-stained carpet in Toole's car, and eventually even the car got lost. Toole was notorious for recanting his crimes and his confession and subsequent denial was ruled as one his modus.


Serial Killer Jeffrey Dahmer

In 2007, infamous serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer living around Miami Beach at the time of Adam's disappearance. Dahmer who was arrested in 1991 for killing more than a dozen men and boys was seen by witnesses at the mall the day of Adam's disappearance. During his interview however, Dahmer denied it was him who kidnapped and murdered Adam Walsh.


Ottis Toole Confessed

In September of 1996, Toole died of liver cirrhosis in prison. In his deathbed, according to his niece, he confessed that it was he who kidnapped and murdered Adam Walsh.



Read:
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The First Serial Killer In The USA
The Famous 1971 Hijacking by D.B. Cooper
Crimes Against Children - The Search For Gregory Robert Whitehead
Gary Ridgway - The Green River Killer
The Real Dalton Brothers
The Santa Rosa Hitchhiker Murders
The Frankford Slasher Serial Killer
Finding Jimmy Hoffa