‘America’s Most Wanted’ to return, hosted by John Walsh and son Callahan

Karu F. Daniels, New York Daily News
·2 min read
1

When “America’s Most Wanted” returns to the airwaves, it will be a family affair.

John Walsh, who was the face of the groundbreaking to-catch-a-fugitive series for decades, will resume hosting duties alongside his son Callahan Walsh when Fox launches a new season in 2024.

The younger Walsh, 38, is a child advocate for the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children organization. He previously appeared on “America’s Most Wanted,” which his father launched in 1988, and on other shows he hosted.

“It’s an incredible time for ‘America’s Most Wanted’ to return to Fox, especially in partnership with my son Callahan, to continue my lifetime’s work,” John Walsh, 77, said in a statement Wednesday to Variety. “I’m in constant awe over how instrumental our loyal viewers are in ensuring we get justice for victims and their loved ones, and today, they have entirely new tools at their disposal to help us fight back and quickly solve even more crimes.”

Crimes highlighted in the new season will range from “horrific murders and deadly drug rings to devastating teenage overdoses and more,” according to Wednesday’s announcement.

Canceled by Fox in 2011, the series was one of the longest running programs on the network before it moved to Lifetime. A short-lived revival of “America’s Most Wanted” premiered on Fox in 2021, hosted by former “20/20” anchor Elizabeth Vargas — with Walsh’s blessing.

The former hotel executive turned anti-crime activist launched the show after his own son Adam was abducted from a Sears department store near their Hollywood, Florida home. The child’s remains were found two weeks later.

Adam’s murder was never officially solved. Convicted serial killer Ottis Toole confessed to the murder but later recanted, and the evidence in the case was lost. The case was closed in 2008, with the Walsh family satisfied Toole, who died in 1996, was the killer.

The Walsh family founded the Adam Walsh Child Resource Center, a legislative reform nonprofit that later merged with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

According to Fox, “America’s Most Wanted” has helped capture more than 1,190 criminals since 1988.

The new season, set to premiere Jan. 22, is Fox’s second of long-running justice programs starting up again.