Whatever Happened to John Walsh’s Children After Adam’s Murder?

John Walsh became a household name as the fearless host of America’s Most Wanted, helping bring fugitives to justice and giving hope to victims’ families. But behind the TV legend is a personal story that started with heartbreaking loss: the 1981 abduction and murder of his 6-year-old son, Adam Walsh.

In this video, we trace how that tragedy transformed John and his wife Revé Walsh from grieving parents into some of the most influential child-safety advocates in American history—helping inspire major reforms, supporting the creation of missing children laws, and contributing to the rise of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.

You’ll also learn what life was like for the children who came after Adam—Meghan, Callahan, and Hayden Walsh—who grew up in a family shaped by trauma, public attention, and a lifelong mission to protect kids. Where did each child end up? Who stayed private, and who followed John into crime-fighting work?

From Code Adam to the long road toward case closure, this is the story of how one family’s worst nightmare became a movement that helped save countless lives.