John Walsh - Public Enemies. The Host ofAmericas Most WantedTargets the Nations Most Notorious...

TEARS OF RAGE

From Grieving Father to Crusader for Justice:
The Untold Story of the Adam Walsh Case

NO MERCY

The Host of Americas Most Wanted
Hunts the Worst Criminals of
Our Timein Shattering True-Crime Cases

Public Enemies

As host of Americas Most Wanted, John Walsh has dedicated his life to combining the power of the public with the skills of the law enforcement community in his tireless quest to bring to justice the most depraved and violent criminals in the country. Here, he tells the true stories behind some of Americas Most Wanteds most infamous closed cases, such as:

• Kyle Bell: A lifelong sexual predator whose madness culminated in the slaying of an eleven-year-old North Dakota girland the only fugitive AMW had to capture twice.

• Kathleen Soliah: The accused Symbionese Liberation Army terrorist went underground in 1969, resurfacing twenty-five years later as a housewife and soccer momwhen her past finally caught up with her.

• Rafael Resendez-Ramirez: aka the Railroad Killer. This sociopathic drifter terrorized the Texas railwaysstopping only to rape and killuntil AMW put out the call for his capture.

A DOUBLEDAY BOOK CLUB SELECTION

A LITERARY GUILD SELECTION

Acclaim for John Walshs New York Times Bestseller

Tears of Rage

From Grieving Father to Crusader for Justice, the Untold Story of the Adam Walsh Case

From its searing prologue through its frank recreation of the lives undone by Adams murder, Tears of Rage astonishes the reader. The story [of Adam Walshs murder] is already part of contemporary lore, a wrenching lore to break our hearts. Tears of Rage turn[s] a familiar tale into one full of fresh detail, undiminished pain and troubling revelation.

Time

A superb book, intellectually and emotionally challenging and compulsively readable. A spellbinding story, tragic yet inspirational. The most remarkable thing it reveals is how one man, happy and successful, can suddenly be plunged into the most unspeakable tragedy imaginable, then gradually emerge with a strength he never knew he had, to lead a crusade he never wanted and be brilliant at it.

Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, FL)

This book is as heartrending as you imagine it would be. Its a brave book, and you have to be a brave soul to read it.

The Arizona Republic

[A] horrific, compelling, and ultimately triumphant story.

New York Post

Tears of Rage should be required reading for anyone who loves a child.

The Oakland Press (MI)

A LSO BY J OHN W ALSH

No Mercy

Tears of Rage

The sale of this book without its cover is unauthorized. If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that it was reported to the publisher as unsold and destroyed. Neither the author nor the publisher has received payment for the sale of this stripped book.

Copyright 2001, 2002 by Straight Shooter, Inc.

Originally published in hardcover in 2001 by Pocket Books

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever.

For information address Pocket Books, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
www.SimonandSchuster.com

ISBN: 0-671-01996-1
eISBN: 978-1-451-60261-6

First Pocket Books paperback printing August 2002

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POCKET STAR BOOKS and colophon are registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

For information regarding special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact Simon & Schuster Special Sales at 1-800-456-6798 or business@simonandschuster.com

Front cover photo by Steven Cosmo Hale

Printed in the U.S.A.

T O OUR PARTNERS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT, who put their lives on the line every day;

T O THE DEDICATED STAFF MEMBERS OF Americas Most Wanted, who work countless hours to get the show on the air each week, and who make such a difference in the lives of crime victims;

A ND TO OUR LOYAL VIEWERS, who have kept Americas Most Wanted on the air for more than fourteen years, and who have brought closure and justice to countless suffering victims of crime.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

My partner, Lance Heflin, is the creative vision behind Americas Most Wanted, and I will always be grateful to him for the drive and passion he brings to all the projects he spearheads, including this one.

Once again, Phil Lerman and his team have melded their meticulous research and their compassion for the victims of crime to help bring this book to life. Leading that team is Lydia Strohl, whose writing and research are impeccable, and whose contribution was essential; my sincere thanks also to David Braxton, Steve Katz, and Eleanor Lerman, who helped us put together several of the chapters.

Thanks also to Cheri Nolan, whose patience and guidance are an essential grounding force; to Emily Bestler at Pocket Books, whose counsel we rely on; and to Shelly Perron and Felice Javit at Pocket Books, whose careful readings of our earlier drafts were a key component in the creation of an accurate accounting of the stories we wanted to tell.

Thanks to all the current and former members of the Americas Most Wanted family who gave of their memories, their time, their files, and their hearts, and on whose work these stories were built: including Ashleigh Banfield, Tom DeVries, Joann Donnellan, Neal Freundlich, Anne Garofalo, Sharon Greene, Avery Mann, Ed Miller, Tom Morris Jr., Lena Nozizwe, Margaret Roberts, Cindy Smith, and the irrepressible Tony Zanelotti.

Were it not for David Hill, the man responsible for resurrecting Americas Most Wanted after it was canceled, we would not be here at all. Our gratitude goes to him, and to all those at Fox who have helped to support and sustain us: You have proved that television can, indeed, be used as a positive force.

As always, my thanks go to all the law enforcement officers who have allowed us to be part of their efforts, and helped us in ours; and, mostly, to all the crime victims who have let us into your lives and trusted us to tell your stories honestly, and caringly, and with dignity. I hope we have lived up to your trust.

CONTENTS

1

PUBLIC ENEMY NUMBER ONE

I remember the first time I felt true fear. It was just before dark on Monday, July 27, 1981, in the parking lot outside a shopping mall in Hollywood, Florida. It was the day my son Adam disappeared.