# The late Ottis Toole to be named as suspect in the murder of Adam Walsh **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 16, 2008, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-late-ottis-toole-to-be-named-as-suspect-in-the-murder-of-adam-walsh/477443 "2008-12-16T19:43:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-late-ottis-toole-to-be-named-as-suspect-in-the-murder-of-adam-walsh/477443/1 "2008-12-16T19:43:32Z")
[CNN Story](http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/12/16/walsh.case.closed/index.html) It would be nice to get some closure on this horrible crime, but I don’t know how they could even convict a guy who has been dead for 12 years. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-late-ottis-toole-to-be-named-as-suspect-in-the-murder-of-adam-walsh/477443/2 "2008-12-16T19:45:29Z")
I thought that was sort of a given, from what I know of the case. In fact, hasn’t John Walsh gone on record saying that he was positive Toole was responsible? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-late-ottis-toole-to-be-named-as-suspect-in-the-murder-of-adam-walsh/477443/3 "2008-12-16T19:46:49Z")
There won’t be a trial. Police have declared the case closed, which means they’re done. ---
**Author:** ![jk1245](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/49beb7/32.png) [@jk1245](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jk1245)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-late-ottis-toole-to-be-named-as-suspect-in-the-murder-of-adam-walsh/477443/4 "2008-12-16T20:07:39Z")
I thought Toole was the main suspect for quite some time. Guess this just means they are saying he’s not just a suspect, but he is the guy for sure (at least as sure as you can be without a trial). ---
**Author:** ![xanthous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/53a042/32.png) [@xanthous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xanthous)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-late-ottis-toole-to-be-named-as-suspect-in-the-murder-of-adam-walsh/477443/5 "2008-12-16T20:08:29Z")
I’m watching the news conference. Sounds like this new police chief decided to exhaustively review all the past evidence and make a conclusion so that the Walshes could have closure, and he claims that all evidence points back to Toole, so they made this announcement today and now it’s done. Finally. ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-late-ottis-toole-to-be-named-as-suspect-in-the-murder-of-adam-walsh/477443/6 "2008-12-17T06:37:02Z")
> [@xanthous](#): > > I’m watching the news conference. Sounds like this new police chief decided to exhaustively review all the past evidence and make a conclusion so that the Walshes could have closure, and he claims that all evidence points back to Toole, so they made this announcement today and now it’s done. Finally. So they didn’t find anything recently? I was curious about that. p.s. Not that the guy didn’t look seriously creepy or anything… ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-late-ottis-toole-to-be-named-as-suspect-in-the-murder-of-adam-walsh/477443/7 "2008-12-17T15:43:45Z")
> [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](#): > > So they didn’t find anything recently? I was curious about that. > > p.s. Not that the guy didn’t look seriously creepy or anything… No kidding, the guy should have been convicted years ago just for looking so creepy. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-late-ottis-toole-to-be-named-as-suspect-in-the-murder-of-adam-walsh/477443/8 "2008-12-18T00:03:02Z")
dna from the lost rug would have closed this much sooner. one of the mistakes the chief spoke about. the new to me piece of evidence was that adam may have been outside the mall. it seems that he was in a group of older kids (watching them play video games) that were told to leave the mall, and that toole was able to get to him when he went outside with the group and he was left alone at the mall entrance. i always thought he was inside in a store. i always think of him when i see the code adam instructions. many regulations are truly memorials. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-late-ottis-toole-to-be-named-as-suspect-in-the-murder-of-adam-walsh/477443/9 "2008-12-18T02:02:43Z")
> [@rocking\_chair](#): > > the new to me piece of evidence was that adam may have been outside the mall. it seems that he was in a group of older kids (watching them play video games) that were told to leave the mall, and that toole was able to get to him when he went outside with the group and he was left alone at the mall entrance. I bet there is some serious parental guilt going on there. ---
**Author:** ![greatshakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/58956e/32.png) [@greatshakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/greatshakes)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-late-ottis-toole-to-be-named-as-suspect-in-the-murder-of-adam-walsh/477443/10 "2008-12-18T04:00:56Z")
I think that all high profile cases will start to be announced as solved, instead of closed, even without new evidence, when new police chiefs are named. Cf. the Jon Benet case. It gives the new chiefs their fifteen minutes on the cheap. Who wouldn’t jump on something like that? Of course, I think Toole was guilty, but I believe it is stupid, reckless, and quite a good political stroke for these new chiefs to make legal pronouncements. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-late-ottis-toole-to-be-named-as-suspect-in-the-murder-of-adam-walsh/477443/11 "2008-12-18T05:21:23Z")
It reminds me of how the government decided the “Anthrax Letters” was solved. Did Ottis even kill any other kids for sure? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-late-ottis-toole-to-be-named-as-suspect-in-the-murder-of-adam-walsh/477443/12 "2008-12-18T05:34:56Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > Did Ottis even kill any other kids for sure? No. Boy, how suspicious. Toole was convicted of murdering at least a few adults and may have been involved in many others, and confessed to killing Adam Walsh, but I mean, it could be a frameup. ---
**Author:** ![GraceTX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c4cdca/32.png) [@GraceTX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GraceTX)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-late-ottis-toole-to-be-named-as-suspect-in-the-murder-of-adam-walsh/477443/13 "2008-12-18T15:23:13Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > No. Boy, how suspicious. Toole was convicted of murdering at least a few adults and may have been involved in many others, and confessed to killing Adam Walsh, but I mean, it could be a frameup. Confessed…recanted…confessed…recanted. On the other hand, he did take them to the canal where Adam’s head was found. Personally, I think he did it. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-late-ottis-toole-to-be-named-as-suspect-in-the-murder-of-adam-walsh/477443/14 "2008-12-18T15:25:00Z")
> [@GraceTX](#): > > Confessed…recanted…confessed…recanted. I think the final word in this case came when Toole’s daughter said he confessed on his deathbed. It’s true the man did this sort of thing repeatedly - he was a lunatic and a manipulator - but based on the little we know, I agree he probably did to it. ---
**Author:** ![Mumio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@Mumio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mumio)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2008, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-late-ottis-toole-to-be-named-as-suspect-in-the-murder-of-adam-walsh/477443/15 "2008-12-18T16:24:36Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > \*\*I think the final word in this case came when Toole’s daughter said he confessed on his deathbed. \*\*It’s true the man did this sort of thing repeatedly - he was a lunatic and a manipulator - but based on the little we know, I agree he probably did to it. Yes, this was my understanding also.