FBI agent believes a possible connection should be re-examined. Here's more:

http://wfrv.com/local/local_story_033110000.html

Hmm, that is an interesting connection, it was one I would have never thought of. I knew Dahmer had been in the Army at one time but I had no idea he had lived in South Florida in the early 1980's when Adam disappeared. I think it is likely Dahmer did it, there is certainly a decent chance.

That is interesting. I could be wrong here, but didn't DNA match Otis Toole to Adam Walsh's murder? I may have to read Tears of Rage over again. In any case, if John Walsh is thinking that they need to investigate further, perhaps Toole wasn't linked to Adam's murder by DNA.

In any case, interesting new development. Thanks for posting!

No way. Ottis Toole is clearly the murderer of Adam Walsh. Not only did he confess twice, but he knew things about Adam and the scene where Adam's head was found, that only the killer could know. John Walsh even stated that he is 99.9% certain that Toole is the killer. There never was a DNA match because the bumbling Hollywood police department lost Toole's impounded car. The car contained massive amounts of blood stains, by the way.

I don't think Ottis Toole had anything to do with it. There are indications that the so-called inside info was nothing more than an overzealous police officer feeding Toole the information. That is hardly unheard of.

Consider how innacurate his initial "confession" was. He put Henry Lucas with him, even though it turned out Lucas was in jail at the time. His description of what Adam was wearing was not even close. Then naturally he had to go for the dramatic aspect, one of them holding Adam down while the other decapacitated him.

Plus, and this laughable claim is what made me reject Toole, he said he convinced Adam to go with him after 15 minutes of talking to him in the Sears parking lot. That's obscene. A situation like that doesn't take 1/10 of that time. We've seen that in case after case. It's basically grab and go. The career criminals know they can't risk anything longer. Even if there is conversation it is very brief. Just imagine someone who looked like Toole being seen talking to a kid like Adam Walsh for 15 minutes, or anything in that range, in a Sears parking lot. I've been to that mall and it is very well traveled. There would have been dozens of witnesses to come forward. Plus, he said he saw Adam running frantically around the parking lot. That doesn't match any description of Adam or his personality.

John Walsh obviously wants to believe it was Toole, but even Walsh's descriptions are contradictory. I saw him on Larry King several years ago say that a grandmother placed Toole in the same department of the store where Adam was last seen. But it turns out a young newly hired female security guard asked Adam and other children to leave the store. Toole in both so-called confessions said he found Adam outside the store.

Walsh also says authorities had possession of carpet sections from Toole's car, but I've seen that denied, that the car was in possession of a different law enforcement agency and the carpet samples never separated.

Remember, at the point Toole "confessed" in late 1983 two movies were in the news regarding child abductions, one a TV movie about Adam and a theater movie with a similar theme. It was perfect timing to claim responsibility and be granted widespread infamy.

Dahmer, as far as I know, did not have a history of targeting children of Adam's age. My memory is his victims were generally young teens up to 30s. The known victims of Toole and Lucas were also older.

Points well taken. However, I have read Tears of Rage and believe firmly that it was Toole. And, if John Walsh is that sold on it, so am I.

Anderson Cooper did a long segment on the Adam Walsh/Jeffrey Dahmer possibility tonight. More interesting than I expected.

When Dahmer was arrested in 1991, two people who claim they were at the Hollywood mall in 1981 said they instantly recognized Dahmer as the person who acted strangely that day. One said the person picked up a young boy and forcibly threw him into a blue van. The other said he saw the man he identifies at Dahmer go into the toy department where Reve left Adam to play with the video games. Again, that doesn't jive with the report that Adam was led outside.

Dahmer was apparently working 20 minutes away and may have had access to a blue van as part of his job.

Park Dietz was interviewed on the program and brought up some of the same things I did, that Dahmer never showed preference for boys of Adam's age. He also said that Dahmer never abducted victims, as opposed to various methods of seducing them into his apartment.

They also showed a brief clip of John Walsh, who said the case was back into the laps of the Hollywood police department.

I couldn't completely throw out Toole, or even Dahmer, but I'd guess it was someone whose name has never surfaced. Bringing up Dahmer's name reminds me of Kaczynski as a suspect in the Zodiac murders, or John List possible as DB Cooper. A high profile crime makes headlines, and then the person's background is tracked to the point he's claimed as a suspect in any unsolved crime that seems to match a location or point in time.

I agree with Awsi: I can't rule out either Toole or Dahmer, but it's most likely neither of the two. In addition to what Awsi said about Dahmer's (and Toole's) victims being older, I read that all but one of Dahmer's victims were murdered between 1989 and 1991, in eihther Wisconsin or Ohio. So, Florida in 1981 doesn't fit either criteria. Not that is has to, but the odds would probably have it. If there is one thing that points to Dahmer, it's that we do know Adam was dismembered. Most of Dahmer's victims were dismembered. However, Dahmer usually kept the skull, so the fact that Adam's skull was found again leads me to believe it isn't Dahmer.

The Anderson Cooper segment I saw ran about 5 minutes so I must have got the short form version. It was around 5:30 this morning, so it must have been the rerun. I don't necessarily believe Ottis Toole's two confessions to the murder of Adam Welsh mean he is guilty: They had a clip of Toole on and he seemed quite insane and he probably didn't know what he was saying. I don't have the greatest knowledge on this case, but I want to know why on Earth did the security guard threw Adam out of the mall. One thing I do know: the way the police (in this case, the Hollywood FL dept) have colosally bungled this case, it makes me believe this would be a perfect case for Unsolved Mysteries.

I hate that I missed the Anderson Cooper segment. If it comes on again, someone please alert the board.

Concerning Tears of Rage, has anyone here read it? I have, and it goes into depth on Ottis Toole and does a good job of convincing the reader that he was responsible for Adam's death. Plus, it was co-written by John Walsh, who firmly believes in Toole's guilt. I would have my doubts also if it was written by a reporter/author trying to push his own theories and/or agendas.

Dahmer had nothing to gain nor lose by admitting to be the killer. Dahmer denied any involvement in his murder.

Dahmer had nothing to gain nor lose by admitting to be the killer. Dahmer denied any involvement in his murder.

That's what I think, just like the Unabomber had nothing to lose or gain saying he was Zodaic.....also, most all of Dahmer's other victim's were in the same adolescent/young man age group, weren't they? (The ones he murdered) That was Dahmer's 'niche'.

Just my thoughts.....

I don't have the greatest knowledge on this case, but I want to know why on Earth did the security guard threw Adam out of the mall.

That aspect didn't surface until 1996, when the media got access to official paperwork on the case. A 17-year-old girl who had been hired as a security guard a week earlier was summoned to the toy department to break up an argument. There were a couple of black kids and two white kids, Adam and a 10 year old. The young security guard apparently thought Adam was with the 10 year old. She told the two groups of kids to leave the store, by separate exits. The Walsh's said Adam was very respectful of authority so he probably went along with it.

Yeah, I saw a shorter version of the Anderson Cooper segment on other shows later in the night. The longer segment included quite a bit with the writer who investigated the Dahmer aspect. His theory is another boy, older and more muscular, was Dahmer's target at the mall, but once that failed Dahmer turned to Adam instead. The writer had the kid's name and made a flat statement that there was "no doubt" the other boy was the original target. Sounded like the typical conspiracy stuff to me, conveniently making things up to try to explain this and that.

Dahmer was working at a sub shop at the time.

The second witness seemed very credible, saying he saw a young man pick the young boy up by one arm and toss him into the blue van before speeding away. The other witness was bizarre, in appearance and description of what he said. He claimed the young man shouted at him from only a few feet away, something innocuous. Then he said he followed the guy straight to the toy department. Both said they reported the incident to the Hollywood police department but were never contacted. The CNN program indicated neither one had previously told their story on camera.

There's probably a transcript of that program on CNN's website, but I don't know that it will re-air since it was a daily version of Anderson Cooper's show, not a special program.

Well Dahmer killed Steven Hicks in 1978 and I have a hard time believing he didnt kill again until 1989. I know for a long time that was the popular theory but Dahmer I believe also confessed to a murder from 1987 and I think another one from 1981 that wasnt Adam Walsh. The Germans I know were also looking at Dahmer to see if he did any murders over there while he was stationed there while in the Army.

I don't know. It doesn't make any sense to me that Dahmer would be the killer of Adam Walsh. While the crime of decapitation certainly fits Dahmer's MO, I sincerely do not see him as being Adam's killer. It has been mentioned on the board (in addition to my independent studies of Dahmer,) and I am a firm believer that Dahmer killed males in their late teens to mid twenties. Adam Walsh clearly does not fit that profile. Dahmer used these victims for sexual purposes and saved numerous tokens from his victims in his apartment. To my knowledge, there was nothing found in his apartment linking him to Adam Walsh's murder.

I bought Tears of Rage out of a clearance bin at Borders several years back (for $1!) and while I can understand why Walsh would want to see Adam's case reinvestigated, I tend to believe that Dahmer was NOT Adam's killer. I'm not sure if Toole was, either, but in my humble opinion, Toole is more likely of a suspect than Dahmer. As a final note, I DO agree with the comment made earlier: Walsh and the ghostwriter do a VERY convincing job of making the reader believe Otis Toole was responsible for the death of Adam Walsh. The part of me that worked criminal defense, however, does see the arguments pointing against it.

I hate to say this, but I don't think we'll ever know the truth behind Adam's death.

The other witness was bizarre, in appearance and description of what he said. He claimed the young man shouted at him from only a few feet away, something innocuous. Then he said he followed the guy straight to the toy department.

I concur. The first witness looked and acted really bizarre, and I didn't get a good vibe off of him at all. The way I remember it, the witness said that the guy he saw said something to the effect of "Nice day outside, isn't it?" For whatever reason, the witness thought this was suspicious, and followed the guy around in the mall. I would trust the second witness more. Of course, the Hollywood, FL police dept. couldn't be bothered to investigate either of these leads.

I concur. The first witness looked and acted really bizarre, and I didn't get a good vibe off of him at all. The way I remember it, the witness said that the guy he saw said something to the effect of "Nice day outside, isn't it?" For whatever reason, the witness thought this was suspicious, and followed the guy around in the mall. I would trust the second witness more. Of course, the Hollywood, FL police dept. couldn't be bothered to investigate either of these leads.

That was the same impression I had. Why follow someone who acted like that? I would head in the opposite direction. Also, speaking loudly like that from a few feet away doesn't fit the descriptions I remember of Jeffrey Dahmer, who was supposedly reserved in public. He was able to conceal what he was doing partially because he didn't stand out.

Toole is so wacko it's hard for me to handicap the situation. If Adam has just been led outside the mall by a young security guard, yet he knows his mother is in the Sears store, does he engage in a long conversation with a bum like Ottis Toole and then willingly go with him in a car? I have a hard time picturing that.

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/16643930.htm

"John Walsh, who embarked on a TV crime-fighting crusade after his son Adam was abducted and killed more than 25 years ago at a Hollywood Sears store, says he is not swayed by a new published report suggesting that serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer may have been responsible for the crime.

The statement was issued by a spokesman for Walsh's television show, America's Most Wanted.

''Despite news stories prompted by the publication of a recent article in a Florida newspaper, America's Most Wanted is aware of no credible information connecting Jeffrey Dahmer to the murder of Adam Walsh, the son of AMW's host John Walsh,'' said the statement issued on behalf of John Walsh."

<snip>

"A recent story written by true crime writer Arthur Jay Harris and published in the Daily Business Review says two witnesses saw someone resembling Dahmer at the Hollywood Mall the day Adam disappeared from the Sears store there.

The story has led to a series of TV news show appearances by Harris, who has a book manuscript he hopes will be published.

The Dahmer allegation has been reported previously -- and has been looked at by both Hollywood police and Broward prosecutors."

<snip>

"Besides living in the area, Dahmer had access to a blue van -- like one seen leaving the mall with a small child thought to be Adam -- through his job at a Sunny Isles Beach sub shop, Harris reported.

Dahmer, a Milwaukee native, was charged in 1991 in the deaths of at least 17 men and boys. He was murdered in prison.

Hollywood police, who consider the case still open, scoff at the idea Dahmer is the person responsible for the murder of Adam.

''We investigated the Dahmer link and spoke with Dahmer,'' said Hollywood police Capt.Tony Rode. ``We don't believe he murdered Adam.''

Rode added: ``This is not anything new. We've gone over it again and again.''"

FLORIDA TIMELINE
March 26, 1981 Dahmer Army discharge

March, 1981 Moves to Miami Beach

March, 1981 Takes hotel room on South Beach.

April, 1981 Moves out of Apt. after he runs out of money.

late June, 1981 Found eating out of dumpster behind
Sunshine-Sub-Shop
by the store manager. He is given something to eat.

Days later Dahmer found eating out of the dumpster again. He
is given a job by the manager as a part time busboy.

July 7, 1981 Dahmer finds a dead man out by the dumpster.

July 26, 1981 Dahmer calls Billy in his Germany barracks. He tells
Billy he is in Florida.

July 27, 1981 My Encounter with Jeffrey Dahmer (around noon-time)
in Radio Shack.

July 27, 1981 Adam Walsh Kidnapping (around noon-time) from the
same Mall!

August 10, 1981 Adam's head found.

September, 1981 Dahmer Fired from Sunshine-Sub-Shop

September, 1981 Dahmer returns to Ohio.

Adam Walsh may not have been Jeffrey Dahmer's only Florida Murder!

April of 2007, The manager of the Sunshine Sub Shop (where Jeffrey Dahmer Worked as a part time bus-boy) said about 10 days after JD started working, he was taking the garbage out to the dumpster. When he returned, he said in a very matter of fact tone. "You have a dead man by the dumpster." When ken (the Manager) went out to check, sure enough there was a man dead next to the dumpster. Ken called the Police. They interviewed Jeffrey Dahmer since he was the one that found the body.

I went to pick up the police report. The date on the report was July 7, 1981, (Twenty days before Adam). When I read it the first thing I noticed was everything in the police report was what JD said. He knew the mans name. He said the man was sleeping in the Meter Room. It seemed he knew the man well. I was thinking if he knew the man, Why would he tell his boss in such a matter of fact tone?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

One fact that really stood out was that the man had only one shoe on, The other shoe was found by the Police in the Meter Room! Why is this important? I started thinking maybe JD evicted him from the Meter Room and dragged him to the dumpster! I went to look for myself! The Meter Room was unlocked. When I looked around I knew this was the place JD brought Adam! I needed help! I went to the FBI again. Again they told me to go to the Hollywood Police Department! I told Art Harris about my instinct. He contacted ABC who hired a licensed Pathologist (crime scene specialist) Her name is Jan Johnson. Her work number is 850-478-0769. With permission from the Mall Manager, She went into the Meter Room. Using Special blue lighting she found blood spatter on a back wall. She says the pattern is "indicative of a homicide" The sample was tested to be blood positive but to old to get DNA. Also next to the spattered wall is a sledgehammer and an Axe (could this be the murder weapon?)small wads of duck tape were on the floor!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

I went back to the Meter Room and took more of my own photos. In one of my photos you can see a trap door in the middle of the room. When I went down into the crawl space below I found a blanket spread out. Could this be the blanket JD used to keep Adam for up to a week before Adam either died or was killed by JD?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

When the Hollywood Police was confronted with this information by ABC, They said it doesn't mean anything! Joe Matthews says "that room is just a room." You can see what I'm up against!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bottom line: There is a CRIME SCENE and nobody seems to care!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Willis Morgan
317 NE 4th ST.
Hallandale FL 33009

Phone # (954) 458-3282 Email: WillisMorgan@AOL.com

Adam Walsh may not have been Jeffrey Dahmer's only Florida Murder!

April of 2007, The manager of the Sunshine Sub Shop (where Jeffrey Dahmer Worked as a part time bus-boy) said about 10 days after JD started working, he was taking the garbage out to the dumpster. When he returned, he said in a very matter of fact tone. "You have a dead man by the dumpster." When ken (the Manager) went out to check, sure enough there was a man dead next to the dumpster. Ken called the Police. They interviewed Jeffrey Dahmer since he was the one that found the body.

I went to pick up the police report. The date on the report was July 7, 1981, (Twenty days before Adam). When I read it the first thing I noticed was everything in the police report was what JD said. He knew the mans name. He said the man was sleeping in the Meter Room. It seemed he knew the man well. I was thinking if he knew the man, Why would he tell his boss in such a matter of fact tone?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

One fact that really stood out was that the man had only one shoe on, The other shoe was found by the Police in the Meter Room! Why is this important? I started thinking maybe JD evicted him from the Meter Room and dragged him to the dumpster! I went to look for myself! The Meter Room was unlocked. When I looked around I knew this was the place JD brought Adam! I needed help! I went to the FBI again. Again they told me to go to the Hollywood Police Department! I told Art Harris about my instinct. He contacted ABC who hired a licensed Pathologist (crime scene specialist) Her name is Jan Johnson. Her work number is 850-478-0769. With permission from the Mall Manager, She went into the Meter Room. Using Special blue lighting she found blood spatter on a back wall. She says the pattern is "indicative of a homicide" The sample was tested to be blood positive but to old to get DNA. Also next to the spattered wall is a sledgehammer and an Axe (could this be the murder weapon?)small wads of duck tape were on the floor!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

I went back to the Meter Room and took more of my own photos. In one of my photos you can see a trap door in the middle of the room. When I went down into the crawl space below I found a blanket spread out. Could this be the blanket JD used to keep Adam for up to a week before Adam either died or was killed by JD?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

When the Hollywood Police was confronted with this information by ABC, They said it doesn't mean anything! Joe Matthews says "that room is just a room." You can see what I'm up against!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bottom line: There is a CRIME SCENE and nobody seems to care!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Willis Morgan
317 NE 4th ST.
Hallandale FL 33009

Phone # (954) 458-3282 Email: WillisMorgan@AOL.com

I don't know. It doesn't make any sense to me that Dahmer would be the killer of Adam Walsh. While the crime of decapitation certainly fits Dahmer's MO, I sincerely do not see him as being Adam's killer. It has been mentioned on the board (in addition to my independent studies of Dahmer,) and I am a firm believer that Dahmer killed males in their late teens to mid twenties. Adam Walsh clearly does not fit that profile. Dahmer used these victims for sexual purposes and saved numerous tokens from his victims in his apartment. To my knowledge, there was nothing found in his apartment linking him to Adam Walsh's murder.

I bought Tears of Rage out of a clearance bin at Borders several years back (for $1!) and while I can understand why Walsh would want to see Adam's case reinvestigated, I tend to believe that Dahmer was NOT Adam's killer. I'm not sure if Toole was, either, but in my humble opinion, Toole is more likely of a suspect than Dahmer. As a final note, I DO agree with the comment made earlier: Walsh and the ghostwriter do a VERY convincing job of making the reader believe Otis Toole was responsible for the death of Adam Walsh. The part of me that worked criminal defense, however, does see the arguments pointing against it.

I hate to say this, but I don't think we'll ever know the truth behind Adam's death.
My sentiments exactly. Well said. With all kinds of loony people in the state of Florida alone (murderers, child predators, etc.) why is Dahmer the only one mentioned? What abt the ones no one even knows abt? What if the murderer of Adam died? What if the murderer of Adam lives in a different state and committed murders there and no one has ever made the connection? It can go on and on.

REASONS I WAS GIVEN BY THE HOLLYWOOD POLICE DEPARTMENT IN 1992 FOR DISMISSING JEFFREY DAHMER
REASONS JEFFREY DAHMER SHOULD BE THE PRIME SUSPECT!

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1: "Jeffrey looked me straight in the eye and said he didn't do it... and you know what, I believe him." (quote from Jack Hoffman)
Jeffrey has been known to look other Police officers in the eye and lie.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------.2: Adam didn't fit his MO.
(even though Adam was decapitated)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

3: He (JD) had nothing to lose and was open and honest. (quote from Jack Hoffman)
Jeffrey was not open and honest! Most of what he said has since been found to be false.

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4: Florida has Capital punishment and JD would like to come to Florida because he doesn't want to live the rest of his life in prison but he can't confess to something he didn't do. (Quote from Jack Hoffman)
When FBI Agent Neil Purtell asked Dahmer "if he did it" (The Adam Kidnapping)? Dahmar's response was "Neil you know if anyone confesses to Adam, he will not survive in prison. Agent Purtell has said he took this as a near confession. (About as close a conefssion as anyone will get).

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5: He was working 10 hours a day 7 days per week and never took any days off! So he would never have had time. ("every once in a while they would just give him a day off.") (Jack Hoffman quote after 1992 interview with JD)
The Man that hired JD has since been found by Art Harris and he said that's not true. JD only worked part time as a busboy. Never worked weekends and was constantly being sent home for coming in deshelved.

According to JD's manager he was paid on Fridays. Could it be He drank up his pay check over the weekends. By Monday he would be deshelved (ripe for getting sent home around 10 AM, just in time for a little trip to the Mall in the Company's Blue Delivery Van?).

I know for sure one day He wasn't working. Monday July 27,1981!

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6: He was always broke.
How could he be broke if he was working all those hours? (RED FLAG)!

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7: He had no vehicle.
This is True! But the part he didn't mention was that the Sub-Shop had a "blue van" as one of its three delivery vehicles! This has been verified by the store owner, Since found by Art Harris, The store Manager, as well as a number of employees.

Keep in mind the state of Florida spent a Month searching for a Blue Van stopping nearly every Blue Van in the State of Florida!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

7: He was drinking heavy and sleeping on the Beach.
Drinking heavy True. Sleeping on the Beach Maybe? He May have also been sleeping in the Meter Room behind the Sub-Shop near the dumpster he was found to be eating out of. Also, How could he have been working all those hours if he was always drunk? (BIG RED FLAG)!

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8: He didn't know where the mall was.
One thing for sure, He was at the Hollywood (Sears) Mall on Monday July 27th 1981. He came into the Mall from the North Entrance, went into Radio Shack, then stormed out in anger. He meandered through the Mall and into Sears from its South East Mall entrance then west to the Toy Department!

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***Another reason used to dismiss Jeffrey Dahmer as a suspect was because
he told Dctective Hoffman he did not have anyplace to bring someone.
*** THE METER ROOM!

normally, I don't put a whole lot of stock into eyewitness accounts, but the second of 2 comments at this link is one that sounds believable. I think it is actually from willisjr, who has the post just above mine. I think I'll have to retract what I said earlier about the account seeming unbelivable because willis followed Dahmer around, because now, after reading the whole thing, it sounds pretty believable.

http://blogs.browardpalmbeach.com/juice/2008/12/ottis_toole_killed_adam_walsh.php#comments

My encounter at Radio Shack-Willis Morgan
----------------------------------------
In 1981. I was working at the Miami herald in my 9th year. I worked as the training supervisor in the pressroom. My work days were Wednesday through Saturday from 19:00 to 05:30 AM. My days off were Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Working a four day workweek was like having a mini vacation every week! Usually during the week I would get to sleep around 06:30 AM and get up around 15:00 but on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays I would get to sleep around 02:AM. This would give me full days to get personal things done.
-------------------------------------------Monday July 27th 1981 was one of those days when I got up early. I didn't have anything scheduled for this day so I decided to go to Walden's Book Store and have lunch at the German Deli in the "Sears Mall" Hollywood Mall.
---------------------------------------------
With Monday being my middle day off and not having nothing scheduled I was not paying attention to the time but I think it was around early afternoon when I left to the book store. I parked in the east parking lot and went into the Mall through the Food Court entrance.
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I didn't see anything I wanted in Walden's. I hung around the store looking at books for about 20 minutes or so but didn't buy anything finally I decided to go down to the German Deli and get something to eat. On the way to the Deli I decided to stop at Radio Shack and look around before lunch.
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As I walked into Radio Shack I headed toward the right aisle side of the store but stopped at the red tag sale table. I picked something up that caught my eye and was looking at it when I noticed in my peripheral vision someone coming from the North Mall entrance and stopping at the entrance to Radio Shack. I had a sense someone was looking at me so I looked up and realized this dirty, dishelved young man was staring at me! When I made eye contact with him, He Smiled at me with a really crappy grin and said "HI THERE NICE DAY, ISN'T IT?" I didn't answer him thinking he would just go away. Instead he lost the smile and stared at me really hard! like he was angry or something. I looked back toward the table and the item I had picked up thinking If I stopped making eye contact he would go away. Instead He came into the Radio Shack and stopped about arms length from me and repeated in a very loud tone. "HI THERE NICE DAY ISN'T IT?" Not wanting to start a conversion with him, I said nothing and never looked up at his face again. At this point, I was pretending to be looking at the item in my hands but I was keeping an eye on him with my peripheral vision, mostly from the waist down. He just stood there for what seemed like an eternity. I knew he was staring at me, and this sense came over me like he was tensing up. I started thinking "What is this guy up to"? I had this sense like he wanted to grab my arm. For some reason I am thinking this guy wants to try to pull me out of the Mall. I wondered if he had a knife. At that point I'm thinking something is going to happen and I will need a witness so I looked over to my right to see where the store clerk was. I saw him all the way in the back of the store putting things on a shelf. I thought about walking to the back of the store but thought better of it and decided to stay put. I didn't want this guy to see me walk with a limp from an old motorcycle accident. Just as I turned back around to the table I noticed this guy abruptly turn around and walk out of the store. Whew! man oh man!
--------------------------------------------
There was no doubt to me that he would approach someone else and I wondered what their reaction would be. Then it dawned on me SOMEONE MIGHT NEED HELP! I waited a few seconds to give him a lead, then walked to the Radio Shack entrance. I knew at that point I would have to remember that face and as I started to follow him in the mall at a safe distance, I repeated to myself his description. "Dirty blond hair to the collar, yellow shirt, blue jeans, white sneakers, about my height, about 170 to 180 lbs." this was too much to remember and I thought about going into the German Deli and ask for pen and paper but just then he turned into the Sears store so I decided not to loose him and continued following. as he walked to the far west side of Sears he turned to the right. I walked a little faster to that point where he turned and looked to the right. I saw him turn into the Toy Department. I decided to go to the left and watch and see what he was up to. As I was standing behind a rack of men's suits for about ten seconds I suddenly realized that was the end of the Mall "Sears" and he would be coming back this way. Not wanting another encounter I decided to leave. When I got to the east exit in the Food Court I got my car keys out and looked around to make sure he hadn't followed me. I saw the coast was clear and walked quickly to my car and nervously unlocked the door. Only after I was in my car and the door was locked did I feel comfortable. At that time I went home and decided to forget about that "NUT' in the mall.
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I stopped at Denny's for lunch and spent the rest of the day home doing yard work etc.. That evening I turned on the news. I was in the Kitchen when I heard about a Kidnapping in the Toy Department at Sears. I was nearly floored. I knew without a doubt it was the guy that I had followed to the toy department. I made another commitment to remember his face and description.
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The next day, Tuesday, I told my neighbor Valery Vickers. When I went to work Wednesday 19:00 I told some co-workers about the incident in the Sears Mall on Monday. Richard Herland suggested to me to go to the Hollywood Police Department. The next morning, Thursday July 30, 1981 at about 9 AM I went to the Police Department across the street from the Sears Mall.
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I walked up to the glass window and told the receptionist I was there about the kidnapping at the Mall. She told me to see officer Presley. They had a special desk set up just for information about this case. I tried to tell the officer what happen but he didn't seem interested. He only wanted to know if I had seen a tag number. I tried to tell him the incident never went out of the Mall. He then asked for a description which I gave him. Officer Presley asked if I had a receipt. When I told him I didn't buy anything he was curt and took my name and phone number and said they would call me if they needed me. He was a bit condescending the whole time and when I left I felt like a jerk for going there. No one has ever called me.
--------------------------------------------
Every night at work I would read the paper and keep up with the case. I remember I had seen several composites and knew they were wrong. I was thinking people were just giving descriptions of any single male they saw. After about two weeks I saw a composite in the paper and I knew the person that gave that composite had seen the same person I had. I thought it didn't look like him but I didn't think I could do any better so I let it go thinking at least they have their composite.
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Several years later when I was at work, the pressroom secretary came to me with a paper asking me if the man on the front page was the man I had seen in the Mall back in 1981. I looked at it and told her no. the Man was Ottis Toole and did not look like the man I had encountered.
-------------------------------------------In 1991 I was working in the pressroom office when the papers started coming in for paper check. As soon as I saw the first paper I started freaking out. "THIS IS HIM! THIS IS THE GUY I SAW IN THE MALL! My boss Steve Hopkins had to calm me down. I remembered that face and I was positive this was him. I could hardly function the rest of the night.
------------------------------------------The next morning I went back to the Hollywood Police Department. I was referred to a detective on the third floor. The Detective I talked to told me Det. Hoffman was on that case but was not in. He took my phone number and told me Det. Hoffman would call me back.
-------------------------------------------Detective Hoffman did call me back and asked me to come in. When I went to see him He asked me why I am coming in now and not in 1981? I told him that I did come in 1981. He asked me to wait and left of the room. when He came back he asked me "If you came in 1981 where is your taped statement. I told him I didn't make a taped statement and explained to him that officer Presley took some notes and said "they would call me back" but never did. I thought I had nothing to offer so I never came back.
-------------------------------------------Detective Hoffman asked me to come back in for a taped statement and kept in touch with me. One day he asked me to come in. When I went to see him he told me he was going up to interview Jeffrey Dahmer. I asked him if I could go with him but told me "That's not going to happen." I knew If I confronted him face to face he just might confess.
------------------------------------------When Det. Hoffman returned from his interview with Dahmer he called me at home and told me he was eliminating Dahmer as a suspect. I told him that's not possible. You can't do that. I am sure beyond a doubt it was him but he told me Dahmer had looked him in the eye and said he didn't do it and you know what "I believe him." Det. Hoffman said "Dahmer told me he wanted to come to Florida because he knows Florida has the death penalty and he doesn't want to live." besides Hoffman said "That little kid doesn't fit his MO." I was thinking "Someone forgot to tell Dahmer he had an MO to stick to."
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When I left I knew this case would never get solved with this Detective on the case. I went to The Miami Herald, several TV stations. I even wrote to John Walsh at America's Most Wanted. I didn't know what to do. No one was listening. I felt like I was standing on top of a mountain and yelling but no one could hear me. When Eleana Bravo from one of the TV stations finally called and told me she called the Hollywood Police Department and talked to Det. Hoffman. She said Hoffman told her Dahmer has been eliminated as a suspect and there is nothing she could do with the information I gave her. Now I knew why no one was getting back to me... I gave up!
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Several years later I read in the Miami Herald that Det. Hoffman was off the case and this new "hot shot" Detective that was good at solving cold cases was taking over. His name was Mark Smith. I figured I had a chance to get someone to listen to me so I called the Hollywood Police Department and asked for Det. Smith. When I tried to tell Det. Smith what happen he all but called me a lire! He didn't want to listen to anything I said. He would say "YEA RIGHT" when I told him what happen.
Willis Morgan