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 ...
Get the rope!
Oh, no. Who said he wanted to be with this freak? That's just insanity, to believe that. At some point, the kid probably just thought it was pointless to try to escape, and to make the best of it. By the way, on Fox awhile ago, a neighbor said he heard yelling and "thumps" from the apartment where he was being held. The kid was probably beaten regularly.
I realize the poor boy was brain-washed, but it still amazes me that a teenager of all things would be that afraid, he wouldn't call the police. When I think back to my son when he was a teenager....
I understand it happens but I am so strong willed, I always find it difficult to understand.
Do you remember when your son was 11? That's not a teenager..and that's when he was brainwashed.
But he wasn't a teenager then and even if he was, so what. Even adults are brainwashed. The mind is a beautiful but very strange thing.
Remember this kid was 11 years old when taken by a total stranger. He was told that his parents didn't want him, threatened with his very life, you know damn well he was raped by this pos and no telling what else. He was not a teen when this hellish nightmare began but just a young boy.
It is very easy to fool most people, look at those who vote Democrat.
It's really hard to comprehend what it would take to completely break your will and surrender to whatever another person said or did to you.
It would take less if you were a child and an adult were the other person.
Yes, I understand that Hildy. However, I have had experience with my own teenager and also we had my teenage niece come live with us for a year. What they believe as kids is often thrown out as teens and that's part of my difficulty. It is not that it happens just exactly why. Kids today are much savvier than I was when I was age 11. I could see my age group being brainwashed at that age far easier than today's children. Obviously by this case it has happened. I also understand the Patty Hearst syndrome where the kidnapped person eventually identifies with their abductor. It's just one of those areas of human psychology that I struggle with understanding.
I Agree 100 % with you Halls !
Even the Fox Newsreporters converted to Islam while being kidnapped & that's WITHOUT being RAPED Repeatly !!!!!!!!!
Shawn WAS ONLY in 5TH GRADE !!! The Preadtor is A FAT Skumbag & He intimated the hell out of the boy !
Who knows the Horrors the poor boy went through .........
Teenagers rebel. Not all but many and I'm surprised this kid didn't rebel against this guy regardless of what he told the kid. I am not blaming the boy at all, just trying to understand better.
So true....
it is hard to understand, for sure. I'm not sure I understand it completely. But I do know that unless we have gone through it ourselves than we will never understand, but we can accept that the child is always the victim no matter and never believe that Shawn or any other child like him wanted this and enjoyed their life with their kidnappers.
Well The Fox reporters converted to Islam while kidnapped WITHOUT being RAPED repeatly & Their Adults !
Shawn was 11 & in the 5th grade !
The abuse he suffered is full of horror !
I will not judge Shawn
He is not a normal teenager. This is a boy who experienced several years of being molested, verbally and physically tortured, and living in fear, pain, and probably shame. He was brought up to fear the consequences of not doing what Michael Devlin said. It's something that's been drummed into him since he was 11 years old. He may have eventually broken free of Devlin's psychological grip on his own, but it wasn't going to happen just because he turned a certain age.
Well. Thanks for clearing that up.
Can't begin to imagine. Horrible. This boy has a long road ahead of him. So very sad.
Devlin how did you make that 1 Million dollar bail so quickly?
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