<Tr> <Th> </Th> <Td> July 27, 1981 (1981 - 07 - 27) (aged 6) Rural St. Lucie County, Florida, U.S. </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Parent (s) </Th> <Td> John Walsh and Revé Walsh (née Drew) </Td> </Tr> <P> Adam John Walsh (November 14, 1974--July 27, 1981) was an American boy who was abducted from a Sears department store at the Hollywood Mall in Hollywood, Florida, on July 27, 1981 . His severed head was found two weeks later in a drainage canal alongside Florida's Turnpike in rural St. Lucie County, Florida . His death earned national publicity . His story was made into the 1983 television film Adam, seen by 38 million people in its original airing . His father, John Walsh, became an advocate for victims of violent crimes and was the host of the television program America's Most Wanted and currently, The Hunt with John Walsh . </P> <P> Convicted serial killer Ottis Toole confessed to Adam's murder, but was never convicted for this specific crime due to loss of evidence and a recanted confession . Toole died in prison of liver failure on September 15, 1996 . Although no new evidence has come forth, on December 16, 2008, police announced that the Walsh case was closed as they were satisfied that Toole was the murderer . </P>

Who was the host of america's most wanted