John Edward Walsh, Jr. (born December 26, 1945) is an American television presenter, criminologist, victims' rights activist, and the host/creator[1] of America's Most Wanted.

[5][6][7] After college, the Walshes settled in South Florida, where John became involved in building high-end luxury hotels.

[5] In summer 1981, Walsh was an official with Paradise Island Hotel and Casino in The Bahamas,[8] and worked in Hollywood, Florida.

Revé had left Adam in the toy department at a model video game console at the Sears while she looked for a lamp.

Police records in Adam's case, released in 1996, show that a 17-year-old security guard instructed four boys to leave the department store.

Sixteen days after the abduction, his severed head was found in a drainage canal 120 miles (190 km) away from his home.

[10] Many names had been mentioned in connection to the case since the murder, but detectives kept returning to that of serial killer Ottis Toole.

[11] Toole, the prime suspect in Adam's abduction and murder, died in prison in 1996 while serving a life sentence for other crimes.

Today, Walsh continues to testify before Congress and state legislatures on crime, missing children and victims' rights issues.

L. 109–248 (text) (PDF)) was signed into law by U.S. President George W. Bush on July 27, 2006, following a two-year journey through the United States Congress.

Critics argue that the system amounts to making offenders wear a lifelong "Scarlet Letter", regardless of the circumstances of their cases.

"Code Adam" as a term has become synonymous with a missing child, and is a predecessor to an "Amber Alert", which serves as a system of broadcast-driven community notification.

America's Most Wanted was the longest-running crime reality show in Fox's history and contributed to the capture of more than 1,000 fugitives.

[18] This led to the rescue of Elizabeth Smart and the arrests of Brian David Mitchell and Wanda Ilene Barzee.

Walsh was critical of the Aruban crime investigation and, along with television personality Dr. Phil McGraw, urged Americans to boycott Aruba.

[26] Hayden, a polo player, worked in production [30][31] and Callahan was a co-host of In Pursuit With John Walsh beginning in 2019.

Callahan, a graduate of Stetson University, joined his father as co-host of the 2024 reboot of America's Most Wanted on Fox.

Callahan serves as executive director of the Florida branch of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.

[34] Walsh generated a great deal of controversy during a summer press tour in 2006 when he stated to the media he had jokingly told senators to implant "exploding" chips in the anuses of sex offenders.

[36] Walsh also faced criticism when he advised women to never hire a male babysitter, which was seen as a blatantly sexist remark.

[39] Walsh was heard by Congress on February 2, 1983, where he gave an unsourced claim of 50,000 abducted and 1.5 million missing children annually.

[41] Critics have stated that the Adam Walsh Child Resource Center, which started without funding in 1981, generated $1.5 million annually following his testimony before the Congress.