The 1981 abduction of Adam Walsh from a south Florida shopping mall, spurred his father John Walsh to create the America’s Most Wanted television program for Fox.

The case was closed by detectives this morning who believe little Adam was killed by Ottis Toole, a Florida drifter who died in prison in 1996.

From the ABC News story:

… Police had built a strong circumstantial case against Toole, long suspected of the murder, adding if “Ottis Toole were alive today, he would be charged with Adam Walsh’s murder.”

The murder tranformed John Walsh’s life, turning him from a middle-class hotel marketing executive into one of country’s best known advocates for missing children.

Here’s a portion of the statement from the Walsh family:

“It has been more than 27 years since our son Adam was abducted from a Hollywood, Fla. mall, then murdered. . . . Despite an ongoing, 27-year investigation, our son’s murder case has remained open — until now.”