Posted on 01/15/2007 8:27:11 AM PST by Halls
Kidnap victim Shawn Hornbeck was "brainwashed" into staying with his abductor after being told his parents no longer wanted him.
His kidnapper also threatened to shoot the 15-year-old after snatching him off the street.
Friends of the teenager have revealed Michael Devlin, 41, had at least three guns in the apartment where Shawn was held captive.
Tony Douglas, 15, who was Shawn's best friend, said: "We both knew there were guns in the house. Michael told us that he had the guns and were for his protection."
Shawn's stepfather Craig Akers, 45, has revealed his son's life was threatened by Devlin while he lived with him in a ground floor flat in Kirkwood, a suburb of St Louis, Missouri.
(Excerpt) Read more at thisislondon.co.uk ...
that is wonderful, but not all situations are the same.
like the yahoo boards. That stuff is absolutely porn and I believe has strong pedophile statements.
I fail to see where someone who says to wait for the trial before getting the rope is worthy of saying that they are in NAMBLA. Knock it off. And maybe you should pray that the cops interrogating this POS will stop when he asks for his attorney, unlike the idiot cops in Florida where the pedophile's confession was tossed as well as his admitting to doing it before!
OMG, the lawyers for the PERV Devlin were interviewed on Fox and they said that when Devlin goes to his arraignment he will be pleading not guilty.
Ok, so I'm not shocked, but he confessed and the evidence is obviously mounting against him. I don't see what his defense could possibly be!
I hope the trial doesn't bring on mudslinging against this boys as they don't deserve it!
I don't know why,,I think I've just been chastised..
Whats' with the Hissy Fit?I haven't Judged anyone,,but you just have.
And not just about this story.
Especially with the world salivating over what the potential details are of your 4 1/2 year captivity as probably a sex slave. Rape victims are given a shield of protection which is obviously out the window in cases like this, with no way to give any shelter to the victim.
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stlouiscitycounty/story/EC8A000B544C9790862572630016ADB4?OpenDocument
Accused kidnapper avoided detection despite 'brazen' actions
By Joe Mahr and Aisha Sultan
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
01/14/2007
~SNIP~
Kimberly Lawyer, a former Imo's prep clerk, remembered when a boy visited the pizza shop in late 2005 or early 2006 looking specifically for Devlin.
The memory is hazy — she's not sure who it was — but she remembered Devlin brushing off the boy.
She now wonders if she shouldn't have so quickly dismissed the incident as nothing more than awkward.
"I thought it was some kid that lived next door, maybe coming home from school," she said. "It was a weird encounter."
By this time, Devlin had long ago quit inviting co-workers to his apartment. And he had developed a reputation for having a hot temper.
Lawyer remembered Devlin flying into a rage in 2005 while criticizing how she did her job.
'Red in the face'
"He was really angry, like red in the face," she recalled. "I just remember him hitting the wall or hitting refrigeration equipment."
His neighbors knew that anger well.
It centered on a parking space.
~SNIP~ More at link (full story cannot posted on FR)
I hope he is in a state that has guilty and insane so he can't get out of jail time with an insanity defense.
To me it's obvious some of the idiots posting on this thread about what the child should have done, how he should have done it and how they in all of their 'wonderfulness' would be too strong willed have never experienced much.
Just from my own limited experience I can see how a person can become mentally and/or emotionally paralyzed. Obviously they've never experienced isolation, deprivation, loss, fear, shame or those other emotions which can lead a person to act as if everything is fine.
I wonder how many of these people would be willing to step out of the comfort zone they know into a completely different and unknown zone.
Someone mentioned upthread the boy had been sitting in a police car yet hadn't said anything. Well, duh... So he let's say he does tell the policeman what its like at home. He's been told his parents didn't want him, he's probably (from what little I've heard so far) been beaten and raped BUT he's managed to survive. By telling the police he's taking a giant step out into the unknown.
What if the police start investigating, is he going to be removed from the home or is his abuser going to retain custody and then he gets to deal with one ticked off pervert. Or even if he's removed where's he going to go? After all, he's been told his parents didn't love him or want him.
There are a lot of people who choose the pain they know instead of the pain they don't know. And these people here are asking a youngster to step out into the unknown because he should have been stronger willed?
Yeah, right! (Do I need an extreme sarcasm tag for this last sentence?)
Yes, my son frequented the pizza parlor, with the undisputed best local pizza available many times, and said the guy (didn't know his name) was a creep. BTW, son says the kid probably wouldn't trust the local police. They don't enjoy a particularly stellar reputation in most circles. That's just son's opinion. You have to know his circumstances to truly appreciate his remarks. He's doing well, for those who know of those circumstances from the Duke threads, but hoped the Feds would look closer at our local P.D. and make some needed suggestions and changes.
No need for a trial. Hang em high.
No hissy fit. Just sounded like many comments made about the family. They've been through hell. Apologies if your post was misinterpreted.
Thanks for the link but there isn't anything in it about the perp.
At the very least they could state whether he has a criminal record or not, right?
The only time I have ever gone over there was to look at the Yahoo FR message threads when this forum goes down as it does sometimes. I don't want to register with them as I already get enough spam so I never do anything but view the FR messages. I figured that many of the "human interest" groups are populated by immature young boys who like to appear macho online or older men who may indeed have pedophile tendancies. I'm glad I have no kids to worry about on line. I've heard that "my space" is getting that way too.
i don't know why people are so incapable of accepting that this boy's behavior has been explained repeatedly by psychologists as typical of someone under mental duress in a situation like this, just because they themselves haven't experienced it. good grief! i haven't experienced anything like it, but i fully believe those who are trained in this area when they say it is common.
Oh good grief, lucky for you, you have money for proper dental care.
The perp has no prior criminal or arrest record except for some traffic violations.
Do we know at what age Devlin was adopted? Not everyone who learns that they are adopted adjusts easily. Some of them struggle with feelings of abandonment and inferiority. I have no idea if any of that would apply to Devlin's situation, but I suppose it could. It definitely doesn't excuse what he did.
And his behavior is the norm rather than the exception
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.