I have to wonder about some of these people. The friends mom says they had told him,,,,you look like Shawn Hornbeck...are they clueless? I understand that this was in 2003 when he really did look like the photo. I just believe I would have asked Shawn more questions. Buy maybe that is just me. Then the neighbors....I am sorry, but are they idiots? If I had heard whimpering, begging, screaming, I would have either knocked on the door myself or called the police. I would have certainly had my glass up to the wall, my ear to the heat register, to see what I could hear. What is with people. Why doesn't BOR mention these lame brained people who were a part of Shawns life. I'm sorry but this makes me angry.
I know hind sight is better than foresight. Hopefully this has made people more aware. Talk about people repeatedly dropping the ball.
I dunno. I consider myself to be a fairly insightful person. I would like to think I would have pursued suspicions about Shawn, but I just don't know if I can say that with certainty. It is very easy to look back in hindsight and say they should have done this or that. But, if the kid didn't acknowledge he was Hornbeck when asked about it (albeit jokingly) and, as far as the parents could tell, he was free to go around and visit friends, I can understand how they might not have acted. I think this has been a good lesson for us all. If something doesn't seem right -- even if you get the right answers from the child in question -- it can't hurt to at least call a tip line and have it checked out. My 2-year-old has a very high-pitched scream -- you can't miss it. One day, as we were leaving the grocery store, I pulled him out of the shopping cart -- one of those ones with a kid's riding truck attached to the front -- and put him in his car seat. He let out a scream like you wouldn't believe. It was so loud you could hear him even with the car windows rolled up. A LOT of people stared at me, but no one did anything. I can't say that I blame them. They probably know what it is like to have a toddler, and didn't want to jump to conclusions. Still, I wouldn't have been offended if someone had stepped in to see if everything was alright.
I can honestly say I did not think Ben Ownby would be found alive and it was only 4 days. After a couple of years, I certainly wouldn't think I was actually looking at Shawn Hornbeck, even if he looked similar. Shawn said they had a story and it never waivered. When I worked at a daycare, I did call CPS when a boy came in with weird bruises. I wasn't his teacher at the time, but I felt obligated to help this child. No one else in his life helped him, who had more direct contact with him!! If Shawn seemed OK (no bruises, not saying anything weird or cryptic), I am not sure I would have really thought anything of it.
Although, the neighbors, if they heard strange things and never reported it, that is a whole different story.
They must be idiots. If I had wimpering, crying, coming from an apt where there is a grown man with a child I would have called CPS/COPS and reported it. If I had seen a child that looks like a missing child I would report it even if I was wrong.
Ok, it is easy to say what we would do in a situation I know, but I'm sure I WOuld never have made the mistake of Shawn's friend's mother who thought he looked like Shawn but didn't do anything about it.
Some people are just dumb!