Public Enemies

The host of America's Most Wanted, John Walsh has formed a vital partnership with the public, the media, and law enforcement that has led to the capture of hundreds of the worst serial killers, kidnappers, pedophiles, and rapists of our time. In Public Enemies he reveals the cost — the blood, sweat, and tears — behind the relentless pursuit of hard justice, in such infamous cases as:

Kyle Bell: A lifelong sexual predator whose madness culminated in the slaying of an eleven-year-old North Dakota girl. Bell was one of the only fugitives AMW had to capture twice — and his case stirred more outrage than any other broadcast in AMW's history.

Kathleen Soliah: This accused Symbionese Liberation Army terrorist disappeared in 1969 only to resurface twenty-five years later as suburban housewife and soccer mom Sara Jane Olson. Her arrest, following AMW's profile of Soliah and her former SLA partner James Kilgore, incited a stunning controversy.

Rafael Resendez-Ramirez: aka The Railroad Killer. A sociopathic drifter, he rode the Texas rails, stopping only to rape and kill. His case was first brought to the public eye by AMW, and it was a secret call to the program's hot line that ultimately led to his surrender.

In those and other gripping true-crime profiles, John Walsh exposes the behind-the-scenes drama of the groundbreaking show, and what actually unfolds between the crimes and the captures — the vital leads from strangers, the dangerous manhunts, the developments cut from the AMW broadcasts, and the dogged investigations by authorities. He divulges stunning lapses in the judicial process that release monsters to the streets time and again. He takes readers inside the hearts and souls of the grieving families, and gives eyewitness accounts of the dramatic final moments when fugitives are finally taken down.

An outspoken and unstoppable crusader, John Walsh ignites Public Enemies with righteous anger and gut-level emotion. But his heartfelt motto echoes throughout: I truly believe, with all my heart and soul, that together we can make a difference. It's a conviction Walsh offers as inspiration to the innocents affected by crime, and to all who feel powerless in the face of unfathomable evil.

The host of America's Most Wanted, John Walsh has formed a vital partnership with the public, the media, and law enforcement that has led to the capture of hundreds of the worst serial killers, kidnappers, pedophiles, and rapists of our time. In Public Enemies he reveals the cost -- the blood, sweat, and tears -- behind the relentless pursuit of hard justice, in such infamous cases as:

Kyle Bell: A lifelong sexual predator whose madness culminated in the slaying of an eleven-year-old North Dakota girl. Bell was one of the only fugitives AMW had to capture twice -- and his case stirred more outrage than any other broadcast in AMW's history.

Kathleen Soliah: This accused Symbionese Liberation Army terrorist disappeared in 1969 only to resurface twenty-five years later as suburban housewife and soccer mom Sara Jane Olson. Her arrest, following AMW's profile of Soliah and her former SLA partner James Kilgore, incited a stunning controversy.

Rafael Resendez-Ramirez: aka The Railroad Killer. A sociopathic drifter, he rode the Texas rails, stopping only to rape and kill. His case was first brought to the public eye by AMW, and it was a secret call to the program's hot line that ultimately led to his surrender.

In those and other gripping true-crime profiles, John Walsh exposes the behind-the-scenes drama of the groundbreaking show, and what actually unfolds between the crimes and the captures -- the vital leads from strangers, the dangerous manhunts, the developments cut from the AMW broadcasts, and the dogged investigations by authorities. He divulges stunning lapses in the judicial process that release monsters to the streets time and again. He takes readers inside the hearts and souls of the grieving families, and gives eyewitness accounts of the dramatic final moments when fugitives are finally taken down.

An outspoken and unstoppable crusader, John Walsh ignites Public Enemies with righteous anger and gut-level emotion. But his heartfelt motto echoes throughout: I truly believe, with all my heart and soul, that together we can make a difference. It's a conviction Walsh offers as inspiration to the innocents affected by crime, and to all who feel powerless in the face of unfathomable evil.

Publishers Weekly

In his third literary foray into the dark territory of violent crime, Walsh (Tears of Rage) once again invites readers behind the scenes of America's Most Wanted. But this is hardly 1998's No Mercy redux. The stories are fresh, and the depictions are not as grisly as those of the earlier book. The crimes and their perpetrators are no less monstrous, however, in chronicles that are as compelling as they are disturbing. From the media-popular "Railroad Killer" to a remorseless member of the Symbionese Liberation Army with 25 years on the lam, to '70s iconoclast Ira Einhorn, who murdered his girlfriend and hid her body for 18 months in a steamer trunk, this title captures the television show's highlights. More importantly, in a genre where the reader is commonly a voyeur, Walsh goes to great lengths to avoid revictimizing survivors of violent crime and relatives of those whose lives have been lost. Over and over, Walsh renders sincere, indelible portraits of victims and their families, both before and in the aftermath of these crimes, exploring the labyrinth of disbelief, bottomless grief, rage and, sometimes, the strength they have mustered to endure the everyday. Their emotional turbulence is both stunning and provocative. At once gallant and crusading, this is Walsh's most tempered and clearly written work. Photos not seen by PW. (Aug. 14) Forecast: Tears of Rage did a stint on PW's bestseller list, and this book's first printing of 75,000 should fly out of stores, given the huge publicity it will receive: bookings on the Today show, Rivera Live, CNN, MSNBC and F ox just for starters, followed by a four-city tour and TV and radio satellite tours. Copyright 2001 Cahners BusinessInformation.

John Walsh, host of America's Most Wanted since its 1988 debut — and New York Times bestselling author of Tears of Rage and No Mercy — is a longtime veteran of the battle for victims' rights. He and his wife, Revé, were central in the fight for passage of the federal Missing Children Act and the founding of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, as well as the enactment of hundreds of state and local laws.

Honored in Rose Garden ceremonies by three presidents, John Walsh has been selected as Man of the Year by dozens of law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Marshals, the National District Attorney's Association, and the FBI — and, in 1992, became the first civilian to receive the prestigious Special Recognition Award of the U.S. Attorney General. American Portraits named him one of the 160 Americans who have made an outstanding contribution to the history of the United States. His proudest achievement, however: being named the nation's "Father of the Year" in 1985.

John is also the head of his own production company, Straight Shooter Productions; one of its first creations was the Emmy® Award-nominated prime-time children's special Smart Kids.