‘Slowly Learning to Cope’ [Parents of kidnap victim Shawn Hornbeck speak out on Bill O'Reilly, Gera

Newsweek ^ | 10/12/07 | Arian Campos-Flores

[Fargo Rock]

This week, Michael Devlin pleaded guilty in four different Missouri courts to charges of abduction, sexual assault and attempted murder involving two boys: Shawn Hornbeck and William (Ben) Own by. That brought to a close a case that riveted the nation back in January when police, who were searching for Ben, found him at Devlin’s apartment along with Shawn, a teenager who had been missing for more than four years. New disturbing details about the kids’ captivity emerged during Devlin’s court appearances this week. He admitted to tying Shawn to a futon in the early days after kidnapping him, making videotapes of sexual acts with him and once nearly choking him to death, until Shawn talked Devlin out of it by promising to do whatever Devlin wanted. The plea agreement ensured that Devlin, who received multiple life sentences, will be locked away until his death--and spared the boys the trauma of having to testify in court. To learn how Shawn took the news and how his recovery is going, NEWSWEEK’s Arian Campo-Flores spoke to his parents, Craig and Pam Akers.

[TBP]

Maybe we should just have traded Geraldo for him. Geraldo is a despicable human being. One of O’Reilly’s many suspect friends.

[chae]

I just read that they put that p.o.s. Devlin in protective custody because he’s allegedly suicidal. Why he couldn’t have killed himself before torturing these kids is beyond me. Personally, I’d give him a butter knife and tell him to do the wrist thing, but that’s just me.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

I’d like to have someone explain to me why this monster should not be tortured to death.

[chae]

I’d trade O’reilly as well. I can’t stand him after his insinuation that Shawn Hornebeck liked being with Devlin because it was fun.

[WildcatClan]

O’Reilly is just lookin’ out for the folks. If FOX wanted to “do something for the folks” they would replace him with Michelle Malkin, yesterday.

[SteveMcKing]

The psychiatrists will convince Shawn that Devlin wasn't a bad person, rather he was deprived of the right prescription for lack of health care.

Those same pills will be pushed on Shawn, so that he is cast as a privileged, guilty heterosexist who oppresses gay-closeted guys like Devlin.

 

Let's all cry, take drugs, and be gay so that doctors can earn millions and make whores of the many quality women their patients might otherwise have an opportunity to date and perhaps even marry.

Then Michael Moore will film a movie about it, claiming that American men should be even sadder, more medicated, and a whole lot gayer.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

Your thinking is too much like mine. I was hoping for an “we’re all God’s children” apologic. IMO, death by slow torture would deter many of the “bad seeds”. If not, at least they would be dead. I say we get on with it.

[sinanju]

Encouraging article, of course the $64,000 question is: how is Shawn developing sexually? Is he taking a normal interest in girls? It seems almost impossible to imagine him not having been turned into a pervert by all this.

I’m wondering if anyone else has floated the possibility that Shawn could have been an accomplice in Devlin’s later activities.

“Everyone’s thinkin’ it. I’m just sayin’ it.”

[Will88]

I still think it’s very possible, even likely, that Devlin kidnapped and murdered one or more of the other boys who disappeared in that area the past ten or fifteen years. Since we now know he set out to murder Shawn shortly after kidnapping him, it seems even more likely Devlin might be responsible for others before he captured Shawn.

Wonder if we’ll ever know for sure?

[pandoraou812]

He should be. I don’t see why he can’t be in general prison population either. I would like to see the inmates use their form of prison justice on him. I like the death penalty too. I don’t see the need to keep these pervs alive personally.

[Will88]

“I’m wondering if anyone else has floated the possibility that Shawn could have been an accomplice in Devlin’s later activities.”

Not sure what “later activities” you mean. The kidnapping of Ben Ownby is the only later (after kidnapping Shawn) thing I know about.

We need to remember that Shawn was eleven when he was kidnapped, much younger and smaller than the person we see now. And the other things you wonder about are probably part of his therapy.

[dandelion]

I lift Shawn up to God, in the hope that he will be made whole through Love.

Many around the world have come through such trauma and lived as a hope to others. If he can see that many abused children have risen above their abusers and ascended to greatness through the grace of God - made strong by their suffering - then Shawn truly will be on the path to healing.

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

Sadly, you are right. That’s the state of medicine and psychiatry these days. Up is down and down is up.

[Choose Ye This Day]

No reason I can think of. Long, drawn-out torture that lasts months, if not years. And it can be videotaped, so Devlin can be forced to watch it when he's NOT being tortured.

Also, Bill O'Reilly is a piece of excrement.

He said that Shawn possibly liked where he was at.

[tina07]

O”Reilly prejudged Shawn simply because he was wearing an earring, and possibly a nose earring too. He wouldn’t admit it either, lost tons of respect for BOR after that.