The Single Clue That Brought Down The Rolex Killer

On July 28, 1996, a fisherman found a body while working in the English Channel. There was no identification, and the police believed they had a suicide case on their hands. However, one detail would change everything. The unknown man was wearing a 25-year-old Rolex watch with oyster casing, which would help the police solve the case and find the most wanted man in Canada and the second most wanted by Interpol.

The police used the serial number on the watch to try and discover the identity of the body. The investigation revealed that the Rolex belonged to Ronald Platt, which was strange since Platt was alive and working as a TV repairman (via GQ). It didn't take long until the police figured out that Platt was dead, and the man using his identity was Albert Johnson Walker, charged in Canada with 18 counts of fraud, theft, and money laundering (via Murderpedia).

Albert Johnson Walker was born in Ontario, Canada. Although he was a high school drop-out, he found his calling in a trust company, where he learned all the tricks and became a freelance bookkeeper. Later, Walker founded a company named "Walker Financial Services Incorporated" (via True Activist). According to The Infographics Show, the firm was successful, and he opened six branches and had 30 employees. Walker was also a respected man in his hometown. He was happily married, had three children, was a Sunday school teacher, and always attended church. The image of a successful businessman and pillar of the community helped Walker to deceive 70 clients and steal $3.2 million. However, he was likely aware he was running out of time.

Walker sent money to the Cayman Islands and re-mortgaged his house for $44,000. In 1990, he allegedly said that he was going skiing in Europe with his 15-year-old daughter Sheena, but never returned. The strangest part is that he would introduce his daughter as his wife. Sheena had two girls, but the paternity of the children remains unknown. "My father suggested that because there was a small child, we should present ourselves as a couple," she said during Walker's trial (via The Globe and Mail).

Walker was always one step ahead, and the police only charged him in 1993 (via Murderpedia). The criminal moved to London, where he said his name was David Davis.

In England, Albert Johnson Walker introduced himself as a successful Canadian entrepreneur. He was outgoing and knew how to make friends. Ronald Platt was one of them. Platt owned a TV repair shop, but he was eager to move to Canada. Walker invested some money in Platt's shop, and they became partners. Later, he insisted that Platt move to Canada. To keep the business going, Walker said that he would need Platt's driver's license, signature stamp, and birth certificate (via The Infographics Show).

Platt moved to Canada. Meanwhile, Walker apparently forged new documents and became Mr. Platt. However, the real Platt supposedly struggled with money in his new country and decided to come back. Walker reportedly knew he could be in trouble and decided to get rid of Platt before anyone discovered the fraud. Per Murderpedia, he invited his friend to go fishing, and while they were in the boat, Walker allegedly knocked his partner unconscious, tied an anchor to his belt, and threw his body in the English Channel. The fisherman found his body two weeks later.

When Walker was arrested in 1996, he admitted the crimes in Canada, but insisted he had nothing to do with the murder. However, the police apparently had enough evidence. GPS proved that his yacht was in the same area where the crime happened, and they also found a plastic bag with Platt's fingerprints inside the boat (via Crime Investigation). In 1998, he was sentenced to life in prison.

In 2005, Walker was allowed to return from Britain and serve his life sentence in Canada. The decision didn't please his daughter Sheena, who said she fears for her family and that her father was "evil." "I was under the impression that he'd be gone for a lot longer, and I would have time to build a better life for my family — just in order to protect them for the future and any threat he poses to us," she said (via The Globe and Mail).