Florida police are expected to announce that they are ready to close murder investigation of Adam Walsh

Florida police are expected to announce today that they are ready to close the 1981 abduction and murder investigation of Adam Walsh, one of the country's most famous cold cases, law enforcement sources tell ABC News.


The 6-year-old son of "America's Most Wanted" host John Walsh went missing from a Hollywood, Fla., mall more than 27 years ago. His head was discovered two weeks later, though his body was never found.

Hollywood police said they would hold a news conference on the case this afternoon. Police sources did not immediately identify the suspected killer, but Walsh has long said that be believes Ottis Toole, a drifter who died in prison in 1996, killed his son.

The murder tranformed Walsh's life, turning him from a middle-class hotel marketing executive into one of country's best known advocates for missing children.


"We were absolutely devastated, heartbroken," he told Larry King on the 25th anniversary of the incident. "We had nothing in common but the anger and the grief. And [Walsh's wife, Reve] said, 'You know, we're destroying ourselves. This is not something that Adam would want. We've forgotten who the real victim is.'"

Walsh, who will turn 63 later this month, started the Adam Walsh Child Resource Center and co-founded the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. His television show, "America's Most Wanted," debuted in 1988.


Since 1984, the center has assisted law enforcement with more than 148,160 missing child cases, resulting in the recovery of more than 132,300 children.

"America's Most Wanted" went on to become one of the country's longest-running television shows. It began profiling missing persons, especially children, in 1991. It was briefly canceled in 1996, but reappeared after a public outcry. The show says its reports have led to the capture of more than 1,000 fugitives.
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Madonna settles divorce for 50M pounds ($76M)

LONDON (AP) - Madonna has settled her divorce with ex-husband Guy Ritchie for at least 50 million pounds ($76 million), the singer's spokeswoman said Monday.
Liz Rosenberg told The Associated Press the settlement was in the range of 50 million to 60 million pounds ($76 million to $92 million) as part of their divorce agreement, a figure she said included the value of the couple's country home, Ashcombe House in western England.

Rosenberg said the couple's west London pub—the Punchbowl—would also remain with Ritchie.

A representative for the British filmmaker declined comment.

The couple were reportedly worth some $525 million, the vast majority of which belonged to Madonna. Ritchie had an estimated $35 million fortune.

Their multimillion pound (dollar) settlement is about twice the size paid out in Britain's latest high-profile celebrity divorce, that of former Beatle Paul McCartney and model Heather Mills.

"I'd assume it's one of the largest payouts ever in a divorce settlement," Rosenberg said.

The biggest contested divorce settlement in English history was the 48 million pounds (about $90 million at the time) insurance tycoon John Charman was ordered to pay his ex-wife in 2006.

But U.K.-based entertainment lawyer Ambi Sitham said it made sense for Madonna to divest herself of her British property.

"She's got no interest in remaining here," Sitham said. "She's relocating and moving back to New York. It's money she's already paid out—what is she going to do, try to sell the houses in a flagging market?" more

Alexandra Burke - Hallelujah a very moving performace

I have watched several performers on these shows and I must admit that this performance pushed me over the edge. This is what its all about!!!!!!!!!! Can you feel it?

11-year-old Cleveland boy shoots his 8-year-old brother, police say

Cleveland boy, 8, shot playing “gangster” with brother

CLEVELAND — As Joan Hicks watched television in her basement Friday morning, the two grandsons left in her care when her daughter went to prison found a gun and decided to play a game they called "Gangster."

The pop of the .25-caliber handgun sent Hicks racing upstairs at 9:10 a.m. where she found the 8-year-old boy bleeding from a gunshot wound to his side. His 11-year-old brother had shot him, police said.

The boys found the gun in Hicks' car but family members said it was not hers. It belonged to the boys' aunt, they said, and it was unclear why it was in the car or how the boys found it.

Officers arrested the older boy for felonious assault. He was held at the Juvenile Detention Center. Hicks faces a charge of failing to secure a deadly weapon, police said. Cops seized two other .45-caliber handguns from the home. more

Woman returns $100,000 found at Cracker Barrel

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - A Murfreesboro, Tenn., woman chose not to follow the old saying "Finders keepers, losers weepers" when she discovered nearly $100,000 in a bag at a local Cracker Barrel restaurant. But it wasn't that the thought didn't cross her mind.
"Satan will tempt you," said Billie Watts, 75. "I have been having real bad teeth problems. I thought, 'I'll get my teeth fixed.' "
She ultimately decided to return the money she found in a bag in the women's restroom to its rightful owner.

Watts had to be coaxed by Michael Peralta, one of her 12 grandchildren, to tell her story.
"I'm proud of her because if anyone in the world deserved to find $97,000 it was them," Peralta, 31, said of his grandparents, who live in an apartment and depend on their Social Security checks.
The excitement began when Watts stopped by the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store with her husband, Malcolm, Thursday afternoon. In the bathroom, she found a tapestry bag hanging on a hook on one of the stall doors.
"It had a Manila envelope that was sticking out of the bag," she said. "It couldn't zip up; it was too full."
She searched the bag for the identity of its owner. Inside the envelope was a picture of two women and a child, but no names. Then she spotted the money.
"I said 'Oh my goodness,' " Watts recalled Monday. "I have never seen that much money in my whole life. I counted the money. There was $97,000 in $1,000 bills. They were neatly stacked inside the bag. "
Watts decided to leave the restaurant with the money.
"I was afraid to go to the counter," she said. "Maybe the wrong person could get ahold of it."
After the couple returned home, Watts called the Cracker Barrel restaurant.
"I told them I found something in the bathroom. I just left my number and asked them to call me."
In 10 to 15 minutes, a woman called.
"I knew it was the right person when she called. She identified the picture, the envelope and the money," said Watts. "I met her in front of the Cracker Barrel about 15 to 20 minutes after she called me." more

Madoff's $50 Billion Swindle leaves Victims Around the World

ABC News' Joel Siegel reports: The scope of Bernie Madoff's $50 billion Ponzi scheme is becoming clearer, and it's enormous. Newspapers and Web sites from around the world today are filled with stories about new victims.

In South Korea, institutional investors may have lost $100 million. French bank BNP Paribas, Tokyo-based Nomura Holdings and Zurich's Neue Privat Bank also suffered losses.

Spanish newspapers reported that a fund run by leading bank Santander was heavily exposed and that investors in Spain risk losing about $3 billion. And Swiss bankers face losses of up to $5 billion.

Among the boldface names who have lost money are Kay Windsor women's apparel founder Carl Shapiro, who lost $150 million to $400 million; and Nine West founder Jerome Fisher, who lost $150 million, the New York Post reports. Sen. Frank Lautenberg's office has confirmed he had an account with Madoff, and reportedly so did a former owner of the Philadelphia Eagles.

Irwin Kellner, the chief economist of MarketWatch.com, already has filed a lawsuit, claiming a $3 million loss.

The New York Times quotes associates of Mets owner Fred Wilpon as worrying that Wilpon's losses might affect the operation of the team -- though Bob DuPuy, Major League Baseball's president and chief operating officer, told The Times despite Wilpon's losses, baseball officials "expect it to be business as usual" for the Mets.

“Any fraud that has been committed against Fred is something of deep distress to all of us and we feel very badly about the entire matter, but we all believe that this will not affect the team,” DuPuy said.

Less well-heeled people lost money, too. The New York Daily News has the story of a retired carpet salesman and his wife from Long Island, N.Y. and Boynton Beach, Fla., whose life savings of nearly $1 million is gone. more

Many call center jobs moving back to US

Many consumers are used to getting customer service on the phone from international call centers, but now some companies are offering domestic aid for a price.
Telephone inquiries for computer giant Dell are typically fielded in India, but now the company will guarantee that customers speak to someone in North America — for an extra $12.95 a month.

"Not only are companies choosing in many cases to deliver customer care from the U.S., but they're actually choosing to deliver customer care from agents' homes," said IDC customer service analyst Stephen Loynd.

Dell isn't the only company moving away from outsourcing; cell phone company Jitterbug boasts in its ads that its operators are in the U.S.

"We really believe that our customer satisfaction saves us more money in the long term than off shoring," said Jitterbug CEO David Inns.

The move from overseas back to the States isn't just about ending years of customer complaints about not being able to reach an operator stateside.