Posted on 01/14/2007 3:20:26 PM PST by Mr. Brightside
Kidnapped US boy held captive four years in plain sight
55 minutes ago
ST. LOUIS, United States (AFP) - The joyful return of a missing Missouri boy to his teary-eyed parents raised more questions than answers about what happened during his four years' captivity to a stranger.
Shawn Hornbeck, 15, was kidnapped in 2002 while riding his bicycle in rural Missouri and was held, prosecutors say, in an apartment outside St. Louis.
He was found Friday as officials searched for another boy, Ben Ownby, 13, who disappeared Monday on his way home from school. Ownby was found at the same apartment.
At a press conference held Saturday in an elementary school auditorium decorated with balloons, Hornbeck's mother, Pam Akers, said in a breaking voice, that her boy, 11 when kidnapped, "has grown up on me," and said: "There is a lot of catching up to do."
"I still feel like I'm in a dream, only this time its a good dream, not my nightmare that I've lived for four and a half years," she said.
The boys did not speak at the press conference, making a mystery of what happened during the captivity.
"That will come in due time," Shawn's stepfather Craig Akers said. "If he doesn't want to discuss it, we won't."
Michael Devlin, 41, was being held Sunday on a first-degree charge of kidnapping related to Ownby's abduction, police said. However, Devlin has not been charged with kidnapping Hornbeck, although authorities said additional charges against him were expected.
Witness reports of Devlin's rusted white Nissan speeding away from Ownby's alleged kidnapping on Monday led police to his home, less than an hour's drive from Hornbeck's home.
Kirkwood, Missouri police officers Gary Wagster and Chris Nelson told CNN they had spotted the Nissan in Devlin's neighborhood while delivering a warrant in an unrelated case.
They said they contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigation after Devlin acted suspiciously during questioning. "We saw something that was not right," said Wagster.
Both boys were examined at Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center in St. Louis before returning to their respective homes.
Devlin, a pizzeria manager, told neighbors the boy was his son. The adolescent used the name Shawn Devlin, and was permitted to ride his bike outside the apartment, a neighbor boy, Tony Douglas, told Fox News.
"He said his name was Shawn Devlin," Douglas said Saturday. "I came over there almost every day."
When the boys stayed out after curfew, "Sometimes the cop would just drive us home," Douglas said.
Douglas's mother, Rita Lederle, also treated Shawn like a son.
"I really felt close to him, like a mother," Lederle told Fox. "I feel sorry for the parents, not knowing he was away from them four years," she said Saturday.
"If I'd known, I would have contacted the parents in some way."
Neighbor Cynthia Dixon, 54, said of Shawn, "He didn't look depressed or anything." She told the Los Angeles Times, "He could have come to any grown-up and said, 'This guy has taken me.'"
Mike Prosperi, Devlin's employer for 25 years, told CNN he never suspected Devlin was living with anybody: "I thought he lived alone. Everybody thought he lived alone ... never took a pizza home like to feed two people."
Although Devlin had no criminal record, he had several encounters with police, often over his belligerency and anger at coming home to find his parking space occupied by another car.
Shawn's stepfather said his son was unable to flee. "He's been held against his will, and since that time he's been threatened with his life," Craig Akers told ABC television Saturday.
"He thought ... it would be the end of his life if he tried to tell anyone or do anything."
Just as good as the day Elizabeth Smart was found.
I hope people aren't blaming Hornbeck like they did Smart.
I live here in STL and I think something stinks about this with Hornbeck. I don't discount the abduction, but at some point over the 4 1/2 yrs. and the fact that he had an opportunity to leave, I just don't get it. The kid is 16 years old now. He was left alone over this period.
I'm sure that there is info that we will never hear about. I saw pictures of him while in "captivity" with black painted finger nails and he is now sporting lip piercing with mulitple ear piercings.
I know....bring it on.
Stockholm Syndrome
News here states that he is a sex offender but never "registered" here in St Louis. I believe they said he has been here for ~15 years and came from Utah.
Nope. The stupid press did a search and found a Michael Devlin as sex offender, but he was in Ohio. The early reporting of this mistake started it all. This isn't the same guy. Traffic violations are all this guy has on record.
Your probably correct. I just think of myself at that age and how I would have handled this. I would have probably have killed him before I left.
No he isn't a registered sex offender.
They were confusing the guy in Utah with him, same name, same middle initial.
This guy has been out there doing things with no one watching.
Kid could have been drugged and after awhile, a kidnapped child begins to think it's the normal way of life.
I heard that he said he was homeschooled.
Press has stated that he did not attend school. When approached he stated that he was "Shawn Devlen", not Hornbeck.
His step-father seems to be a stand-up guy. Has handled this with the press very well.
In another article posted here it stated that he saw a poster of himself with an age progression image. The article (now remember, I'm quoting what a reporter wrote so there is no guarantee of veracity) stated that he was "insulted" by the image yet, made no effort to notify someone.
He didn't go to school apparently and I guess to an 11 year old, that sounds good.
I'm shocked about the mother being quoted in this article. Her son has an adolescent living with him with no story as to how he got there. And she treats him like a mother.
That’s one freaky family.
I'm shocked about the mother being quoted in this article. Her son has an adolescent living with him with no story as to how he got there. And she treats him like a mother.
That’s one freaky family. "
I've read that he told people that he went to a private school in an adjoining town.
The mother quoted in the article is the mother of Shawn's friend....not the mother of his kidnapper. The woman lived in the complex and her son had been playing with Shawn since he was 11. He was 11 when he was abducted, so they'd known him for years.
Thanks for clearing that up. I was reading a bit too fast.
There will be people here who do blame the kid...it's already started if you read any of the threads about this yesterday. It's the sick side of FR.
Steven Staynor and yes, very similar. Steven was a good kid and unfortunately after he was recovered he was never able to fully get his life back and died tragically in a motorcycle crash.
there is no way this child is responsible for anything he did after he was kidnapped. If he made friends, seemed ok to people, lied about who he was, or anything at all it was Devlin, the kidnapper's fault!
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