Florida police have, after several long and painful years, officially named Ottis Toole as the murderer of Adam Walsh.  Walsh was 6-years-old when he was killed back in 1981.  Police are now closing the case and naming Toole as the one responsible for the senseless death.

Toole died in prison several years ago but confessed on his death bed to the murder according to his niece.

Hollywood police said Tuesday that a man long considered the lead suspect in 6-year-old Adam Walsh’s death has finally been named as the man responsible for the crime. But he won’t be tried: Serial killer Ottis Toole died in prison more than a decade ago.

Toole had confessed to the killing, but later recanted. He claimed hundreds of murders, but police determined most of the confessions were lies. Toole’s niece told the boy’s father, John Walsh, her uncle gave a deathbed confession.

His father John Walsh went on to create ‘America’s Most Wanted’ and is responsible for the arrests of thousands of criminals from citizens calling in tips to authorities.

Walsh had this to say about the closing of the case on the ‘America’s Most Wanted’ website:

Despite an ongoing, 27-year investigation, our son’s murder case has remained open — until now.

Although Adam’s killer never served one day in prison for destroying our son’s life and almost ruining ours, nor will he ever because he died in prison serving time for an unrelated murder, we are satisfied that the main suspect in Adam’s murder –- Ottis Toole — has now been positively identified and that this chapter in our lives is now closed.

Walsh took a tragedy and used it to make America a much safer place and punish those responsible for so many crimes.  Kudos to John Walsh!