You know, I lived in Florida when Adam Walsh disappeared. I was young and about to become pregnant for my first child. I remember thinking at the time when Adam disappeared from the Sears store that I thought his father should have never let him go to another part of the store alone - Adam was only like 6 or 7. Was it because I was afraid of the whole monster thing – no not really I just though Adam was WAY too young to be allowed to wander in a mall store alone – period. In fact, the majority of my opinion at the time was that John let down Adam by not being a better parent. Even in those days most parents would not have allowed a child that age to go off alone.

I never once thought that it had anything to do with sex – instead I thought the person that took Adam was a killer – period. A killer is bad enough but one that dismembers is a true heinous killer that definitely has severe mental problems.

I just read the article and it says the mother let him play games in the store - however, I am almost certain at the time it was reported that John that was with Adam in the store. I, of course, could be wrong -

John Walsh is Mark Lunsford on steroids. Each lost a child under very horrifying circumstances, but both are pitiful creatures in that they parlayed that loss into a vengeful campaign against people who had nothing to do with their tragedy.

John Walsh does seem to be more sincere than hillbilly Lunsford, but each made a career off the misery of others.
By others, I meant off the backs of a group of people, many of whom were not even born at the time.

I have no problem at all with his campaign to fight crime, even sex crimes, as we must do that in a civilized society. What I do have a problem with is how Walsh and Lunsford fanned the flames and at times mislead people to further their career.

Punishing sex crimes is admirable, but because of people like Walsh and Lunsford, legislation has been passed that CREATES sex offenders by making minor offenses a registerable offense.

rewdiazepam

I agree and both have shown they are sex offenders as well!

A thought, maybe an incendiary one, but here goes. I've read around the web, that our boy John was into some VERY shady business dealings with organized crime in Floriduh. What happened to Adam was simply payback for something, or maybe just a 'warning' that he or Reve (or both) would be next if he didn't straighten up and fly right. Couey was just the fall guy, the one left holding the bag. He 'admitted' to the murder, but later recanted, if I remember correctly. It was NEVER proven Adam had been sexually assaulted. John just needed a group to take it out on, thus, US. Who knows, maybe it's just a wild theory. He as built quite the little empire out of this though, hasn't he?

Does someone want to try to explain to me why at the very least he shouldn't be charged with murder, maybe even treason against his fellow Americans, hundreds of them, if not thousands. His own AWA now set us up as targets, and many people have been killed, harassed, etc. He knows EXACTLY the damage this is doing, the thing is, he doesn't CARE, as long as the money rolls in. You notice too, him, Lunsford, all of them, avoid any kind of public debate, with sound research and facts. Not John, he isn't stupid..No, he just likes smoke and mirrors, 'bus surfing pedophiles', etc. I know MANY activists/advocates/professionals that would CLEAN up the floor with him in a debate, possibly showing the world what a sham he and is ideology is. But no..not John. Lest we forget, Reve was underage when they started dating. Huh,.isn't that a registerable offence John?

Dave in the Philippines

Just a quick correction, I think Ottis Toole is the one you mean that admitted to killing Adam, Couey killed Jessica Lunsford.

Not that Toole was a nice guy or anything (he did send a letter to Walsh claiming he raped Adam just for kicks) but Walsh believed Toole was the killer from the very beginning. Somehow we are to believe that Toole, in the span of about five hours since the time he got off the bus in Jacksonville, acquired a ride to Hollywood without owning a car, snatched Adam and killed him.

Even while Walsh was trying to make the case against Toole in his book "Tears of Rage," Walsh has to rectify the timeframe issues, the claims of people seeing Toole in Hollywood on Friday while he was still riding a bus from Virginia to Jacksonville, and the fact that Toole had a history of being a pathological liar and said things just to get a rise out of people.

Of course, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, Walsh says this: “To my mind, the evidence is overwhelming. I know that certain people, some even at the FBI, are convinced that Toole was not the killer. They can think they like. I am Adam's father, and I know what I believe.” In other words, don't confuse Walsh with facts, he made up his mind.

If you read "Tears of Rage," you'll discover a few things. Walsh is a deluded egomaniac, and in his youth, he was a bully and promiscuous. His wife was cheating on him with a friend of the family. And Walsh was so paranoid, he believed "pedophiles" were making death threats against him.

I won't argue you, you're right....Toole was found to be just above the level of retardation, I hate the word, I have a severely handicapped niece, but I don't know how else to put it...Walsh believes he did it because of Toole's letter where he claims to have raped and killed Adam and I side with the FBI that he didn't have anything to do with it...He was just tormenting Walsh.(As much as I'd happily beat the hell out of Walsh, that crossed the line by a lot).....Ottis Toole and his running partner Henry Lee Lucas were clearly 'Serial Killers" and did murder several people, but the collectively claim to have murdered 108 people...
I've not read the book and I haven't studied on it, I saw something on Biography a few years ago and they interviewed Walsh, so I did a little research, but not a lot.....I do sympathize with Walsh, losing a child hurts, I lost mine when he fell asleep and rolled his truck, but he fails to see that if his wife had not left Adam alone in a store, it wouldn't have happened..I would HAPPILY FILET ALIVE someone who hurts a child, but he seems to think that neither he,n or his wife did anything wrong...6 years old!.....Even When Ty was 13/14 and his ass wasn't in by dark, we had a problem....John and Reve need to take a little responsibility of their own..

Lots of parents left their children alone in a store back then. People also taught children discipline back then too. My mom would take me to a store and tell me to stay in the toy section or stay in the store and don't leave. I never was snatched up, obviously.

Today's kids aren't taught to be responsible and never stray far from mother hen.

But I do not believe people would have left a 6 yr old alone in a store - I know no one in my family would have.Sure as older kids but not 6 yrs old.

The store security guard made him go outside of the store. He was at fault for making such a young child go outside the store. Teens were in the store causing trouble so security was called and he kicked Adam out of the store along with the teens...

Dean in the Philippines when did you get to leave the country? were you off paper?

Ok, I'm back now, sorry gang. There's been a two day brownout (no power) here, Guess the provincial power company couldn't pay the national power company, so they shut off the power to all of Albay province.

Sorry about the confusion on the names folks, need to keep my facts straight. As to moving, I moved in 2007 from CA to Asia. I'm now married to a Filipina, so I can stay here in the Philippines. I was off paper, and have a very low level, I guess you could call it a 'score', and don't appear publicly on the Megan's Law website. So, I had to register once a year, give them a vehicle description, have it photographed. I just told them I was moving out of the country, and had to de-register so it didn't look like I was absconding. Can't find a job here, every time I get close, 'something' happens, and I never get a follow through. A friend here who was HR said my 'history' probably shows up in the database, so employers shy off that. That, and the fact i've turned 50 this May probably has a lot to do with it.

The only bright side is not having to register in the Philippines

Dave in the Philippines .

I agree to a certain extent about the security guard but on the other hand the security guard is not responsible for any child in the mall or any store. The bottom line is that NO 6 yr old child should be left alone anywhere no matter what decade it is! In fact, in a big place like a mall 6 yr olds should still be hand-holders! Not because of stranger danger or anything but because they are too young! They do not have the skills yet to handle unforeseen situations, etc.

I agree Advocate though my mom was telling me that her parents left her and her older (by 2 years) brother in an arcade when she was 7 while they went gambling while on vacation. She remembers being terrified because they were in a place she didn't know at all and they were alone. Nothing happened to her but still. She's horrified by thinking about it now remembering how young she was. I can never imagine allowing such a young child to be on their own.