John Walsh Details Taking on a Case for ‘In Pursuit’ as He Decries Growing Violence in US (Exclusive)

After nearly four decades fighting for justice, John Walsh is still moved by the “power of TV” when it comes to tracking down criminals, first on America’s Most Wanted and now on In Pursuit With John Walsh, which in its first season, resulted in the arrest of 10 dangerous fugitives. Ahead of Wednesday’s all-new episode of the Investigation Discovery series, which calls on viewers to share what they’ve seen that might be relevant to making sure justice is done, Walsh spoke to PopCulture.com about the growing rate of violence in the U.S., as well as the difficult process of choosing the cases to profile on the show.

With Season 1 an undeniable success, with tips from viewers resulting in the rescue of a 3-year-old girl in Paraguay and the arrest of both a suspected murderer wanted by the U.S. Marshals and a member of the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted list, Walsh praised the “wonderful” fans of the show who made these resolutions possible.

“The unfortunate thing is we can’t take all the cases,” Walsh told PopCulture.com, adding he is inundated with requests from people looking for justice in their own lives.

“Sometimes it’s the most pressing case,” Walsh added of the selection process for the show. “But it’s also if they’re catchable — there’s so many factors to it.”

With violence on the rise in the U.S., Walsh said it’s even more difficult to narrow down which cases are the most suited for In Pursuit.

“We are by leaps and bounds the most violent first world country … and it just keeps getting worse,” he noted. “I don’t know what it is.”

In regards to the “appalling” statistics regarding murder and sex trafficking in the U.S., Walsh blamed much of the rise on the ease of purchasing a gun and a failure of politicians to act in the best interest of their constituents, instead of on behalf of lobbying efforts by the NRA.

“The politicians in the House and Senate are paralyzed by one little lobby that would like to see everyone in America have five guns,” he said. “The politicians won’t do anything. It’s appalling, and people are sick of it.”

Apathy on the part of voters is also a major component, Walsh noted.

“People only care about whatever gold digger Housewives of whatever county; they only care about the Kardashians and whatever Prince Harry is doing,” he declared. “I think we’re too accepting, and Americans don’t want to deal with the rising levels of violence.”

If you know anything about the cases detailed on In Pursuit, Investigation Discovery operates an active call center at 833-3-PURSUE and dedicated online hub at InPursuitTips.com, with trained professionals who keep the anonymity of sources in confidence.

In Pursuit With John Walsh airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET on Investigation Discovery.

Photo credit: ID