John Walsh Signs Off Of 'America's Most Wanted'

NEW YORK — John Walsh has said goodbye and thanked viewers of "America's Most Wanted" for helping bring almost 1,200 fugitives to justice over more than two decades.

Walsh told his audience in brief farewell remarks: "You've saved lives and gotten people justice."

The series aired its last weekly episode on Fox on Saturday. Fox has cited high production costs for pulling the plug on the series, which premiered in 1988.

But Walsh vows he'll return to television.

He said earlier this week he has heard from other networks, including Fox News Channel. A decision on a new TV home could be announced within two weeks, he said.

Walsh, 65, launched his crime-busting crusade in the aftermath of the abduction and murder of his 6-year-old son Adam in 1981.

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Online:

http://www.amw.com

Comments

[AllenFromAtlanta]

08:46 AM on 06/22/2011

You did good dad, Adam would be proud.

[DaniFoxy]

08:23 AM on 06/22/2011

I wish he was my Dad.

[Lisette]

01:47 PM on 06/22/2011

then you would be dead

[DaniFoxy]

08:22 AM on 06/22/2011

God bless him for taking the giant hole that his pain must have left and turning it into something positive for so long. Nothing will ever fill the void left by the loss of a child, but JW sure stood strong.

[pjlowry]

10:25 PM on 06/21/2011

We all fear the horrors that the Walsh family had to endure so many years ago. For John to take such a horrible tragedy and bring changes that no doubt saved countless lives since tells us what a truely brave and amazing person he is. I hope he finds a new channel to continue his great work because we need more great people like John to step up for the people who are victims of violent crime.

[American African]

05:46 PM on 06/21/2011

There is some other reason this show was canned. I imagine the ratings were not the greatest, but they were probably never all that impressive. Perhaps if Mr. Walsh were a partisan hack and disrespected the President when he was on the show, things would have been different. John Walsh was doing a good thing, born out of the most unspeakable tragedy, and America was better for it. I imagine all the families who found justice for a loved one would agree.

[JoeBoy254]

07:06 AM on 06/21/2011

John did his part in life extremely well and it's his time to walk slowly into the sunset. Wish him amd his family all the best.

[Sail Away]

12:59 AM on 06/21/2011

Tell me the part about "gotten people justice" again. How is justice "gotten" when the justice system is the perversion?

[castcutters]

09:00 PM on 06/20/2011

I think the show is a great idea. Maybe another network, or cable/satelite station. Why does it have to be on prime time Saturday night? Put it on Monday night opposite the Bachlorette. Anyone would rather watch AMW over the Bachlorette!!

[mariusvinchi]

07:33 PM on 06/20/2011

Kudos to John Walsh for bringing some semblance of closure to so many families over the years.
It's heartbreaking that he never found that for himself and his wife. Ottis Toole notwithstanding...

[LeftistGuerrilla]

07:05 PM on 06/20/2011

I can't imagine the pain he goes through every day for the last 30 years. John Walsh is an American hero.

[LeftistGuerrilla]

07:03 PM on 06/20/2011

At the very least John Walsh has provided a public service. I "lost" my son at a Wal Mart and initiated a "Code Adam" (named after Mr. Walsh's son). They were amazing, they dropped what they were doing and helped me find my son. I usually trash Wal Mart, but they were truly amazing and I'm sure John Walsh would have wanted that service 30 years ago when his son was taken.

[Richard Genco]

06:53 PM on 06/21/2011

I find it remarkable that not one person on this site saw fit to mark this comment as a favorite as I was the first. Tells me a lot about this site. Bless you.

[GodBlessAmerica]

06:15 PM on 06/20/2011

I don't understand how an 800 number and some brief acting-recountings of crimes can reach "high production costs." Fox is lying.

I bet show interest has dwindled, and ratings are not high, but I don't understand why Fox would lie about it.

[IfIonlyknew]

06:37 PM on 06/21/2011

Fox wouldn't lie would they>

[Lisette]

05:11 PM on 06/20/2011

Can't stand this guy -- never watched the show!

[Richard Genco]

09:22 PM on 06/21/2011

THAT FIGURES!!!!

[pjlowry]

10:40 PM on 06/21/2011

After the abduction and murder of their six year old son, John Walsh and his wife Reve helped pass the Missing Children's Act of 1982 and the Missing Children's Assistance Act of 1984. The latter bill founded the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which maintains a toll-free hotline number (1-800-THE-LOST) to report a missing child or the sighting of one.

They also founded the Adam Walsh Child Resource Center, a non-profit organization dedicated to legislative reform, which eventually merged with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. John and Reve have dedicated their lives to fighting for legislation that protects children in cases of kidnapping. Many laws like the one that makes kidnapping a federal case if a child is taken across state lines is because of the work done by the Walsh family to protect children from predators.

Their work has saved countless lives, many of those children who were victims of violence. It's a shame you never took the time to listen to this man, he fights for us and our kids so that we would never have to experience the hell he and his family had to endure 30 years ago when they lost Adam. Today, Walsh continues to testify before Congress and state legislatures on crime, missing children and victims' rights issues. His latest efforts include lobbying for a Constitutional amendment for victims' rights.

[Lisette]

01:44 PM on 06/22/2011

@ pjlowery
And he made a fortune off his son;s death!!!

[ex-eye-in-the-sky]

04:23 PM on 06/20/2011

This man is a hero. To set aside such personal misery & sadness to seek out justice, by capturing fugitives to help all of us. Mr Walsh, you will be missed. Thanks for all you've done, sir.

[bleuwolf13]

04:22 PM on 06/20/2011

I've watched this show off & on over the years & I'm sorry to see it go. Mr. Walsh has helped so many victims of various crimes over the years by presenting their attackers to the public in hope they get caught. I hope he comes back on the air somewhere, but please not Fox News.