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John Walsh on FOX's "America's Most Wanted: America Fights Back" |
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On July 27, 2006, at a ceremony in the White House Rose Garden, President George W. Bush signed a new, tough-as-nails law to track and apprehend convicted sex offenders who disappear after their release from prison. The date wasn't chosen randomly. Exactly 25 years earlier, John Walsh and his wife, Revé, suffered the abduction and murder of their 6-year-old son, Adam. Since that day in 1981, John Walsh has dedicated himself to fighting on behalf of children and all crime victims. As a result, thousands of victims have found justice, and dozens of abducted children have been safely brought home. The new law signed by President Bush, the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act, is also a result of Walsh's fight.
Most people know John Walsh as the host of "America's Most Wanted," the groundbreaking television program that has helped take down nearly 1,000 dangerous fugitives in the past 20 years. But it's not the career he envisioned for himself. Born in Auburn, New York, and educated at the University of Buffalo, Walsh moved to Florida with Revé and was living the American dream. John Walsh was a successful businessman, building high-end luxury hotels and building his life. But after Adam's murder, everything changed.
The Walsh family's tragic story woke up a nation to the danger of child predators after NBC aired two movies about their life. "Adam" in 1983, and "Adam: His Song Continues" in 1986 dramatized the heartbreak and then resilience of the Walshes. The network ran a roll call of missing children at the end of each movie, leading to the recovery of 65 children.
The Walshes' experience taught them that the nation was in desperate need of leadership in the fight to protect children, and they decided to create something positive out of their personal tragedy. From the ad hoc organization they put together to help with the search for Adam, they established the Adam Walsh Child Resource Center, which eventually merged with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), which they co-founded in 1984. The NCMEC (missingkids.com / 1-800-THE LOST) provides invaluable resources to parents, children and law enforcement in the United States and internationally. The charity consistently receives an A+ rating for its ability to spend more than 90 cents of every dollar raised on programming. Its public/private partnerships keep the NCMEC as a leading example of a highly respected and effective nonprofit.
Searching for justice and determined that Adam's death not be in vain, John Walsh has fought back like few Americans ever have. Although he has never held political office, John Walsh has been the driving force behind major pieces of child protection legislation. This led to his being honored five times by four presidents; Ronald Reagan (twice), George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. One of Walsh's proudest moments was standing beside Revé as President George W. Bush signed the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act into law on the 25th anniversary of Adam's murder.
Although the Walshes never attained justice in their own case, thousands of crime victims have, thanks to John and Revé's dedication to fighting back. Law enforcement has also embraced John Walsh. He has been honored numerous times by local, state and federal agencies. In addition to being named Man of the Year by both the U.S. Marshals and the FBI, John Walsh was made an honorary U.S. Marshal. John Walsh is only the third man to receive this honor in the U.S. Marshals' 200-year history.
John Walsh is the best-selling author of three books: "Tears of Rage," "No Mercy" and "Public Enemies." John Walsh recently teamed up with the creator of "Baby Einstein," Julie Clark, to create a series of DVDs called "The Safe Side." The two DVDs, "Stranger Safety" and "Internet Safety" (thesafeside.com), have been lauded as exceptional resources for parents and kids in dealing with predators in the real world and online.
John and Revé Walsh live in Washington, D.C. They were blessed with three more children after Adam: Meghan, Callahan and Hayden.
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