John Walsh's voice shook and his eyes brimmed with tears as he thanked the chief for closing the case. Walsh is best known as host of the television show "America's Most Wanted.".... "For 27 years, we have been asking ourselves, 'Who would take a 6-year-old boy and murder him and decapitate him? Who? ' " Walsh said. "We needed to know. Today we know. The not knowing has been a torture but now that journey is over. It is only fitting that it ends here at this police department."
I'll have to admit to never having been a fan of John Walsh. He's always been a taste I've never managed to acquire- self-promoting, bombastic, and a bit too self-important. Then again, if you consider where his passion and commitment emanate from, it's hard not to admire the man. This morning my heart goes out to Walsh and his wife, who after 27 years have finally learned the identity of the man who killed and beheaded their then-six-year-old son, Adam. The "why" anyone would do this to a six-year-old boy is something that I'm not certain any of us could ever really understand. I've never had children, so I can't claim to know, or even imagine, the pain that the Walshes have been living with for the past 27 years. Instead of playing grandparent and celebrating the successes of their son, they're reduced to living with the knowledge of what might have been...and hoping that he didn't suffer in his final moments.
John Walsh took his pain and his anger and created something positive out of it. "America's Most Wanted", which entertainment at it's most basic- as any television show is- has been a net positive over the years. Whether your consider Walsh a self-serving creator or a hero, his show has helped to locate and apprehend many criminals. For this, there are many people who should be and are very grateful to him. While no one would ever want to see anyone lose a child in any manner, particularly one so brutal and senseless, I find it difficult not to admire John Walsh's commitment to doing something positive in his son's memory.
My heart goes out to John and Reve Walsh this morning. I can't imagine what the past 27 years have been like for them, but I do hope that finally learning the identity of their son's murderer will be them some peace and closure. Or as much as could reasonably be hoped for under the circumstances.
If you have children, I hope that you'll be able to look at them and love and appreciate for who they are and for what they add to your life. To quote an old Scottish proverb, "Be happy when you're alive, for you're a long time dead."
