His severed head was found two weeks later in a drainage canal alongside Highway 60/Yeehaw Junction in rural Indian River County, Florida.

[6][7] Revé intended to inquire about a lamp that was on sale[8] and left Adam at a kiosk with Atari 2600 video games on display, where several other boys were taking turns playing them.

[16] After more than 90 minutes of searching and paging failed to locate Adam, Revé called the Hollywood Police at 1:55 p.m.[6] On August 10, a severed head was found in a drainage canal alongside the Florida Turnpike near Vero Beach, almost 130 miles (210 kilometers) from Hollywood, by detective Ralph E. Latimer Jr. and an unidentified deputy of the Indian River County sheriff's office.

[22] After some investigation, police eventually concluded that Adam was abducted by a drifter named Ottis Toole near the front exterior of Sears after being instructed to leave by a security guard.

Toole said that he had lured Adam into his white 1971 Cadillac Sedan de Ville (which had a damaged right bumper) with promises of toys and candy, then proceeded to drive north on Interstate 95 toward his home in Jacksonville.

[27] In 1997, Hollywood police chief Rick Stone conducted an exhaustive review of Adam's case after the release of John's book.

[28] In 2007, according to allegations that earned widespread publicity, Jeffrey Dahmer, who was arrested in Wisconsin in 1991 after killing more than a dozen men and boys, was also named as a suspect in Adam's murder.

[29] Dahmer was living in Miami Beach at the time of Walsh's murder, and two eyewitnesses placed him at the mall on the day that Adam was abducted.

He preyed on young men and boys (the youngest being eight years older than Adam), and his modus operandi included severing his victims' heads.

When he was interviewed about Adam Walsh in 1992,[30] Dahmer repeatedly denied his involvement in the crime,[31] even stating, "I've told you everything—how I killed them, how I cooked them, who I ate.

[34] On December 16, 2008, Hollywood police chief Chad Wagner, with his friend John present, made the announcement that the case was now closed.

[37][38][39][40] American rapper Bizzy Bone, who was abducted by his stepfather as a child, was reunited with his mother after a babysitter recognized a photo of him during the broadcast.

The bill institutes a national database of convicted child molesters, and increases penalties for sexual and violent offenses against children.

Richard Moran, a criminologist at Mount Holyoke College says: "[The case] created a nation of petrified kids and paranoid parents.

Kids used to be able to go out and organize a stickball game, and now all playdates and the social lives of children are arranged and controlled by the parents...the fear still lingers today.

"[46] Early estimates by the NCMEC would state that as many as 20,000 children a year were abducted by strangers, and public service spots relayed the perceived danger.

[48][page needed] Between 2000 and 2015, the number of missing children ultimately killed decreased, partially attributed to the emergence of technologies such as mobile phones that allow calls for help.