John Walsh (television host)
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. He is known for his anti-crime activism, with which he became involved following the murder of his son, Adam, in 1981; in 2008, deceased serial killer Ottis Toole was officially named as Adam's killer.[2] Walsh was part-owner of the now defunct National Museum of Crime and Punishment in Washington, D.C. He also anchored an investigative documentary series, The Hunt with John Walsh, which debuted on CNN in 2014.
John Walsh
- Television presenter
- television producer
- criminologist
- activist
1981–present
America's Most Wanted
The Hunt with John Walsh
In Pursuit with John Walsh
The Justice Network
4, including Adam
Operation Kids Lifetime Achievement Award
2008
Early life[edit]
Walsh was born in Auburn, New York, one of four children born to John E. Walsh, Sr. and Jean Walsh.[3][4] He graduated from Auburn's Our Lady of Mount Carmel High School in 1963.[4][5] He attended the University at Buffalo, from which he graduated in 1967 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history. He married Revé Drew in 1971.[5][6][7] After college, the Walshes settled in South Florida, where John became involved in building high-end luxury hotels.[5]
Family[edit]
After the murder of Adam, the Walshes had three more children: Meghan (born 1982), Callahan (born 1985), and Hayden (born 1994). “These kids saved our lives,” Walsh has said. He said their home was in foreclosure after the murder as he spent time searching for his son and then for the killer.[25]
Meghan was born a year after Adam was murdered. Revé Walsh told local newspapers at the time that "there is no substitute for Adam." She also said, "Meghan will make me miss Adam more. He always wanted a sister." In a July 27, 2006, family interview on Larry King Live, Meghan said she was living in North Carolina and had recently gotten engaged to a medical student at the University of North Carolina and was still a "daddy's girl." She described herself as an artist who painted commissioned works.[26] She eventually had four children whom she has said were removed from her custody by Florida officials and the oldest were living with her parents. Meghan, who has had basal cell cancer on her nose, appears in videos in which she rails against her father and his work.[27][28][29]
Hayden and Callahan sometimes accompanied their father when filming TV shows, including America's Most Wanted. On a 2006 Larry King Live show, Larry King said that Hayden, then 11, resembled Adam.[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. The show told the stories of victims and their families looking for justice for their murdered loved ones. Callahan, a graduate of Stetson University, joined his father as co-host of the 2024 reboot of America's Most Wanted on Fox. “I’m lucky to have Callahan," Walsh told People. "I’m such an old bastard and I’m still cooking, but I got the young legs right here helping me out." Callahan serves as executive director of the Florida branch of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.[25]
Tributes[edit]
On August 15, 2006, Walsh's hometown of Auburn, New York, named a street after him.[32]
In October 2008, he was awarded the Operation Kids 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award[33] for his dedication to protecting children and to raise funds for the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, which Walsh co-founded with his wife.[34]
Controversy[edit]
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. He stated, "I said implant it in their anus and if they go outside the radius, explode it, that would send a big message." Walsh stated this was a "joke".[35] Walsh later suggested implanting GPS chips in such criminals.[36]
Walsh also faced criticism when he advised women to never hire a male babysitter, which was seen as a blatantly sexist remark. "It's not a witch hunt," he said. "It's all about minimizing risks. What dog is more likely to bite and hurt you? A Doberman, not a poodle. Who's more likely to molest a child? A male."[37]
In his book Tears of Rage, Walsh openly admits being in a relationship with 16-year-old Revé when Walsh was in his early 20s and aware of the age of consent being 17 in New York.[38]
Some critics accuse Walsh of creating predator panic through his work.[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. He testified that the U.S. is "littered with mutilated, decapitated, raped, strangled children,"[40] when in fact, a 1999 Department of Justice study found only 115 incidences of stereotypical kidnappings perpetrated by strangers, about 50 of which resulted in death or the child not being found.[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.[40]