TV Show Review: America's Most Wanted

March 7, 2007.
I write this date because the status of America's Most Wanted changes almost daily.

The story of how John Walsh began the most successful show to capture criminals begins with his son, Adam Walsh. Adam Walsh disappeared from a Sears Department store in Hollywood, Florida on July 27, 1981. He was playing video game demos while his mother shopped.

Have you ever been at a department store when they lock the doors and put out a "Code Adam". This is why. As many already know, Adam Walsh was found murdered.

The Walsh family's story helped the world to know about child predators after two made- for- TV- movies were made about them, "Adam" in 1983, and "Adam: His Song Continues in 1986. The network that aired them ran a list of missing children after each movie that helped find 65 kids.This is how they came up with the idea for America's Most Wanted.

The Walsh's created the Adam Walsh child resource center which was later combined with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children- which they co-founded in 1984.

The first capture:
On February 7, 1988 the first episode of America's Most Wanted aired, within days David James Roberts, an FBI Ten Most Wanted fugitive was caught. Roberts, a convicted killer, escaped from prison in 1968 and after twenty years on the run was captured by a viewer who saw America's Most Wanted.
This helped to establish the show as a success and ensured its continuation.

The fastest capture:
It took 29 minutes after their segment aired to capture Jack and Mona Volagres . They were wanted for the murder of Mona's daughter Saleana.

The most recent capture:
Stephen Grant Murdered his wife Tara, on Feburary, 9, 2007. He claimed that they had an argument and that she left that night, however, he didn't report her missing until the 14th, when she didn't show up for a meeting that she was supposed to attend.
On March 3, 2007, the police found her torso and various body parts around town.
On March 4, 2007, he was captured and he confessed to her murder.

There have been 919 fugitives captured in 31 countries- an average of about 48 a year-almost one a week!