John Walsh, 78, the iconic host of America’s Most Wanted, launched his career after a tragic event in his family led to a life of activism as a victim advocate. His six-year-old son Adam Walsh was abducted from a Sears department store in Hollywood, Florida, in 1981 and was subsequently killed.
The bereaved father and his wife, Revé Drew, channeled their grief into activism, founding the nonprofit Adam Walsh Child Resource Center, which eventually merged with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, on which John serves with the board of directors.
After Adam’s tragic death, the Walsh family would go on to welcome three more children, all of whom have grown into adulthood. On January 22, 2024, 43 years after Adam’s disappearance, John is set to host the second season of the revival of America’s Most Wanted, co-hosting with his son, Callahan Walsh.
Here’s what to know about all of John’s children.
Adam Walsh
Adam Walsh was born to his parents John and Revé on November 14, 1974. Adam was just six years old when he was abducted from a Sears at the Hollywood Mall on July 27, 1981. Just over two weeks later, his severed head was found in a drainage canal along Florida’s Turnpike. Adam’s unthinkable murder would go unsolved for decades to come, and in the meantime, his abduction would serve as a catalyst for his parents to make big changes.
John and Revé’s activism led to the Missing Children Act of 1982 and the Missing Children’s Assistance Act of 1984, and the influential couple has recently lobbied for a Constitutional amendment for victims’ rights. In 2006, the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act was signed into law by former President George W. Bush. A “code Adam” was also implemented in malls and stores across America in the 1990s as a way to immediately respond to a missing child situation — ultimately, a predecessor to the “Amber Alert.”
In 2008, Adam’s case was finally closed when the Hollywood Police Department declared serial killer Ottis Toole responsible for Adam’s death. Toole had died in prison in 1996.
John Walsh’s most well-known achievement following the death of his son was the 1988 creation of America’s Most Wanted, a FOX true crime show hosted by Walsh that has aided in the capture of over 1,000 fugitives. In January of 2024, John returned as host for the second season of the revival of the show on its original network.
Meghan Walsh
Despite their devastating loss, the Walsh family moved forward, welcoming daughter Meghan Walsh in 1982. In an interview with Larry King in 2006, Revé opened up about the decision to expand their family following Adam’s death. “Meghan was born a year after Adam’s abduction and I think that really, really quickly after we found out Adam’s fate, we said the only thing that makes sense is to have another child and get rid of this agony and find something that’s as wonderful as Adam and that was Meghan,” she said at the time.
Meghan also shared in the joint family interview that Adam’s presence was always felt in the household. “Oh, I still have Adam’s picture in my bedroom today,” she said. “He’s always with us and we’ve always been aware of what happened and it just made us more aware. We’ve always been very street smart. We obviously did something good to deserve these parents and this lifestyle and this life. So, you know, again, we’re very grateful and he’s always with us.”
Meghan, now 42, is a singer, fashion designer, and artist who lives in Vero Beach and is mom to her own daughter, Eva.
Callahan Walsh
Callahan Walsh, now 39, entered the family in 1985. He was asked by Larry King in 2006 if it was a heavy burden to be the first son born after Adam. “No, you know, I mean, growing up with these great parents it hasn’t been tough,” he said at the time. “They don’t put any sort of pressure on me as far as the oldest son. I’m very proud to be part of this family, to see what work they have done for children all across the country.”
Callahan studied business at Stetson University outside Daytona, Florida, and is set to co-host the second season of the America’s Most Wanted revival on FOX, premiering January 22, 2024, with his famous father.
“I grew up with my parents saying that if Adam’s song is to continue, then we must do the singing,” Callahan told Fox News in a 2021 interview. “And I’m trying to do that every day as a child advocate. I want to help get families the justice they deserve.”
Hayden Walsh
Hayden Walsh, the youngest of the Walsh brood, was born in 1994 and is now 29. In the Larry King family interview, Revé reflected on Hayden’s uncanny resemblance to his older brother Adam. “He looks a lot like Adam,” she said. “You can see that. And he’s sort of, you know, having older parents and older brothers and sisters, he’s pretty grown up for his age, which Adam was a lot like that, being surrounded by adults. Children that are in those situations tend to be a little bit more mature. And he’s something else. He’s definitely a chip off the old block.”
Hayden, then just 11 years old, also didn’t hesitate to gush over how proud he is of his parents. “It’s exciting, and I just don’t know what to say about my parents,” he said at the time of seeing his parents at the White House and on TV. “They are such role models that it’s not hard to believe, but at some point, sometimes, it’s just overwhelming, like all they have accomplished and stuff.”
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