"Justice delayed is not justice denied" -John Walsh

Today, Adam Walsh's case was finally closed. 27 years later; I can't believe it. For some reason, I always felt a personal attachment to the case, probably because my mom explained to me what had happened when I was around six years old. Even though I don't know the family on an intimate level, I still feel like I do. Maybe it's because John has been hosting America's Most Wanted for as long as I can remember, because we've been watching the show since day one.

Adam Walsh, at the age of six, was kidnapped from a Sears store in Hollywood, Florida. A month after his abduction, his severed head was found in a canal in Vero Beach. His murder was the catalyst for his father, John, to found the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children; later, he would go on to host America's Most Wanted, which helped catch 1, 049 fugitives. Also, Code Adam was passed, which puts department stores in lock-down mode in the attempts at locating missing children. Moreover, Congress passed the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act in 2006, which instituted a national database of child molesters and increased the penalties for abusive and sexual offenses against children.

I watched part of the press conference, and I just feel like John Walsh and his wife are two of the strongest people I have ever heard of. Instead of trying to seek vengeance on Toole (the formally convicted kidnapper and murderer of Adam), they sought reform. They did everything they could to stop this from happening to other children, to end the suffering that other parents would have to go through if this were to happen to their child. I think that shows courage, will-power, and true strength. They never gave up hope on Adam's case. That takes faith. Sometimes I try to put myself in the Walsh's shoes and think Would I ever be able to do what they did? I really don't know. I hope I never have to. I just really admire them for their strength, support for each other, and unconditional love.

So, today, I think I'm going to send all my prayers to the families of missing, exploited, abused, and murdered children. I think everyone should do the same, because maybe the prayers will give a mother and father hope that they may have lost.