Adam Walsh, a 6-year-old boy abducted in 1981 from a department store in Hollywood, Florida, was killed by Ottis Toole, a convicted serial killer and drifter. Toole confessed twice to the murder but later recanted his confessions. Despite the lack of physical evidence and lost key items such as the bloodstained carpet and the machete allegedly used, police concluded after a thorough review that Toole was responsible. Toole died in prison of liver failure in 1996, and in 2008, the police officially closed the case, naming him as the killer based on his confessions and other investigative findings

. Toole had lured Adam into his car with promises of toys and candy, drove him to a remote area, strangled him with a seat belt, and then decapitated him with a machete. His confessions were inconsistent, and some evidence was lost during the investigation, which caused delays and uncertainty for many years. The case's resolution came long after Toole's death, providing some closure to Adam's family

. Adam's father, John Walsh, became a prominent advocate for missing children and victims of violent crimes, helping to establish national policies and organizations dedicated to child safety and missing persons