On this day in 2007, Shawn Hornbeck was finally reunited with his parents after he vanished without trace while riding his bike in Missouri four years earlier. Shawn later reported that Devlin physically abused him and threatened to kill him if he tried to call for help or escape. It's one of the most perplexing questions to emerge from the tale of the two missing Missouri boys who were found last Friday: why didn't Shawn Hornbeck, 15, the older of the two, simply flee?. If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. It has been called Dr. Seuss Day because of this. Stayner got in the car and wasn't seen again for eight years. Today, Jessica is now 35 years old and lives in Texas with her husband and two children. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. As you know, police found 15-year-old Shawn Hornbeck in an apartment of 41-year-old Michael Devlin last week, along with 13-year-old Ben Ownby. Bens abduction and Hults quick thinking would eventually turn out to be Shawns salvation. Ownby had been missing for four days when police entered a small apartment in Kirkwood, Missouri, to find both boys. Murdaugh is heckled as he leaves court, Mom who lost both sons to fentanyl blasts laughing Biden, Moment teenager crashes into back of lorry after 100mph police race, Two Russian tanks annihilated with bombs by Ukrainian armed forces, Bizarre moments in Alex Murdaugh double murder trial so far, Stolen car crashes into another car causing building to collapse, Ukrainian soldier takes out five tanks with Javelin missiles. She was found alive nine months later and her kidnappers, Brian David Mitchell and Wanda Ileen Barzee, were both arrested and charged with kidnapping and rape. The disappearance and reunion with Shawn made international headlines. FILE Shawn Hornbeck and his parents, Pam and Craig Akers, in 2013. His widow, Pam, and son Shawn apparently share a special bond that is helping them during this time of loss. That fall Devlin pleaded guilty to multiple counts of kidnapping and sexual assault and was sentenced to 74 life sentences in Missouri and 170 years of federal time. Hornbeck was reported missing by his family on Oct. 5, 2002, after he didn't return home from school in Richwoods, Mo. In the same interview, Shawn said he spent his days sleeping and playing video games and was instructed to tell people he was being homeschooled. They also started the Shawn Hornbeck Foundation to help other families find their missing and abducted children. Pictured with Hornbeck are his parents. On October 6, 2002, Shawn, aged 11, was kidnapped by 41-year-old pizza shop boss Michael Devlin. But like most kidnapped kids who are later found, she still struggles with the aftermath. Hornbecks life suffered a severe schism when he was allegedly kidnapped at the age of 11. On October 6, 2002, Shawn Hornbeck left home on his bicycle in the rural area of Richwoods, Missouri. She and another agent headed to the Kirkwood pizzeria because its manager, Michael Devlin, owned a truck that looked suspiciously similar to one that had been seen near the site of Ownbys abduction. Is dumpster diving legal in Missouri and Illinois? Hornbeck was eleven years old on October 6, 2002, when he was kidnapped while riding his bicycle near his home in Richwoods, Missouri. [He] is doing really well, a retired sheriff who worked on his case told the paper. The man who kidnapped Shawn Hornbeck and Ben Ownby was identified as Michael J. Devlin, a pizza-restaurant manager. Shawn Hornbeck era un nio de 11 aos que fue secuestrado el 6 de octubre de 2002 mientras montaba en bicicleta en un pequeo pueblo rural del condado de Washington llamado Richwoods, en el estado de Missouri, Estados Unidos, a unas 50 millas de la segunda ciudad ms grande del estado, St. Louis. Now 30, although Elizabeth has spoken out publicly several times about her ordeal, she keeps a low profile. One of the store managers, a man named Michael Devlin, owned the truck. SALT LAKE CITY (AP) Teenage kidnapping survivor Elizabeth Smart has given birth to her third child. When Devlin told Shawn Hornbeck he was going to kidnap a new boy, Shawn fought the man who had tortured, isolated and manipulated him since 2002. She still stays in touch with her colleagues who helped solve the case. On December 4, 1972, Stayner, age 7, was abducted in Merced, California by child molester Kenneth Parnell. The truck matched a description given by 15-year-old Mitchell Hults of a vehicle he spotted in the vicinity of Ownbys abduction. Ill. coroner explains how wife didnt notice body, Check out these new must-see Missouri attractions, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Though Ben was two years older than Shawn, he looked young for his age, and both. Shawn told no one about his situation, and nobody in Kirkwood suspected that he was the missing boy from Richmond - 50 miles away. The kidnapper put the 13-year-old in a white Nissan pickup truck and sped away, but not before Mitchell Hults, one of Ownbys friends, got a good look at the vehicle and provided a detailed description to authorities. Devlin told FBI agents the reason he began looking for another boy was that Shawn was getting too old. The National Read Across America Day takes place every year on March 2, Geisels birthday. A white truck had been seen speeding away after Ownby had been snatched, and when police tracked down Devlin's cluttered one bedroom apartment home, they found Shawn Hornbeck toositting on the couch. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 2023 FAQS Clear - All Rights Reserved Devlin later pleaded guilty to dozens of counts in both boys disappearances. California. So, today, at the age of 59, Cary Stayner is incarcerated at the San Quentin State Prison. Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. The guy tried to entice me to his vehicle. We sat and spoke for quite a while, Willett told the paper. Abducted from the street in 2002 when she was just six years old, Erica made national news when she managed to break free from her kidnappers by chewing through the duct tape that was bound around her wrists. From Elizabeth Smart to Jaycee Dugard, these kids from famous crime cases are both horrifying and inspiring. Ill. coroner explains how wife didnt notice body, Check out these new must-see Missouri attractions, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Severe Weather Palmer said he remembers the face of the man who tried to abduct him 22 years ago, but it wasnt until recently he put the name of Michael Devlin, to that face. In the interview, Oprah asked: 'I had read that you had gone to the Internet site to asked 'how long will you be looking for your son'. I never forgot his face, he said. Their cases made national news. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. When Shawn came up missing he was 11 years old and. What did you feel doing that? Five years later, we watched together as Shawn Hornbeck was found alive. Hes gotten to where it doesnt bother him anymore., There wasnt a day when I didnt think he was just gonna kill me, Hornbeck told CBS in 2008. Who was Kenneth Parnell's accomplice? If it wasn't for Mitchell Hults, a teenage boy who witnessed the kidnapping, the Missouri Miracle probably wouldnt have come true. He wont be eligible for parole until hes 100. Undergoing horrible ordeals as children, from kidnapping to abuse, they all managed to survive and tell their stories. If you use a windshield cover, you can at least forget about scrapping the ice off your windshield to save some time and hassle. Driving his pickup, he knocked Hornbeck off his bike and kidnapped him. Abducted at the age of 10 in Austria, Natascha was kept in a secret cellar for eight years before she escaped in 2006. KIRKWOOD - Fourteen years ago today in a suburb of St. Louis called Kirkwood, Missouri, the term Missouri Miracle came about. She was rescued by her adoptive parents who worked with the troubled girls social interaction issues. An 11-year-old went missing in rural Missouri while riding his bike in 2002. And he said, Ill never forget this, he said, Nah, boy just get in the truck. And thats when I bolted and I ran, said Palmer. Email In Touch at contact@intouchweekly.com. Shawn planned to ride his bike to a friends house. She lives in Utah with her husband and two-year-old daughter. Since then, Elizabeth, now 34, has been a vocal advocate for child safety rights. In 2011, she described her kidnapper as a cool mom.. Shes now a spokesperson for the anti-pornography group, Fight the New Drug. Tortured and threatened with death, Hornbeck had allowed Devlin to present him as his son. The Oct. 6, 2002 kidnapping of Richwoods 11-year-old Shawn Hornbeck while riding his bike to a friend's house, . Sgt. Knowing what its like being on the other side and potentially what may have happened and what may have led up to her final moments and understanding probably a lot of what she was feeling, its heartbreaking.. How to get started raising backyard, Windshield covers and other handy gear you need for, 18 trendy cowboy boots to wear this winter, 18 books youll want to read on Dr. Seuss Day, STL Co. stakeholders look for juvenile crime solutions, STL County school district still recovering from, Block party kicks off history making weekend for, Woman shot in Schnucks parking lot in St. Peters, Mo lawmakers back ban on Chinese ownership of land, Lawsuit: Muslims praying at Missouri prison pepper-sprayed, Local organization host fundraiser for Janae Edmondson, Heavy rain, wind slam St. Louis region on Friday, Man shot and killed on his front porch in Illinois, New contract, pay raises expected soon for STL police, Warren County man charged in counterfeit money scheme, TSA at Lambert warns travelers about flights ahead. Willett was following a lead on Jan. 12, 2007, in the case of Ben Ownby, a 13-year-old who had gone missing days earlier. He spoke to reporters in 2013 following the dramatic discovery of three trapped women in Cleveland. He was sexually abused, with Devlin later telling FBI agents that as Shawn got older, he had begun looking for a younger boy to take. This time it was from the lives of those who had known and cared for him during the four years he was missing, those who had unwittingly. He remains on death row as of July 2021, but there have been zero executions in the state of California since a 2006 court ruling on the flaws found in the management of capital punishment. Send it to us! This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. They've changed, but I could recognise them in 20 more years, instantly,' he told Winfrey, before adding that while he had access to the internet and a phone, he was unable to contact them. Ownby, 23, lives and attends school in the St. Louis area, according to the Post-Dispatch. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. In 2009, a story about a girl simply called Danielle who was raised in deplorable conditions and treated like a wild animal by her biological mother made headlines. A man behind the wheel of a white pickup truck knocked young Shawn off his lime-green bike. That is, until April 2020 after he started volunteering for a non-profit in Canada called, Operation Underground Railroad, that works to combat human trafficking. Looking at the side of his neck, I could see the pulse quicken, I could see a physiological change, when we would talk about the abduction.. Craig was a dedicated family man. Im an important cog in it, but its a personal thing for each boy and their family. When You Breathe In Your Diaphragm Does What. That inmate, identified as Troy Fenton, wrote a letter to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and said he attacked Devlin because of the heinous nature of Devlins crimes. Shawn, then 15, told his 41-year-old captor that . In 2002, Shawn was abducted while riding his bike with a friend and was found five years later. Listen Now On Jan. 12, 2007, Ben Ownby, 13, and Shawn Hornbeck, 15, were saved from Michael Devlin's apartment in St. Louis County. He even reportedly attended a local school dance in December with a girl students described as his "girlfriend.". Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? That night, Franklin County Sheriff Glen Toelke announced that both boys were found and alive. He was transferred to Western Missouri Correctional Center in Cameron, Missouri. Shawn had taken this path many times before but this time, Shawn passed by Mike Devlin who bumped him with his truck. #subscriptionResponse{color:#000; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold}. Only 9 years old at the time, the older brother, along with his parents, became a prime suspect in the death of his sister, a crime that today is still unsolved. Thats my first clue. Theyre doing good. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. He was held by his abductor 200 miles away in Mendocino County, California until he was 14, when he managed to escape with another of Parnells victims, Timothy White. Willett spoke at length with Devlin while they sat in the backseat of an FBI vehicle. Did Patty Hearst have Stockholm syndrome? Its finding out who that guy was and what he did to two other kids and that he would have done the same to me. All rights reserved. Authorities are investigating pictures of Shawn Hornbeck that were apparently taken during the four years the Missouri teen was missing. Shawn had taken this path many times before but this time, Shawn passed by Mike Devlin who bumped him with his truck. Today, Shawn Hornbeck and Ben Ownby have found some sense of normalcy, living peacefully with their families in St. Louis. The second boy was Shawn Hornbeck, who had disappeared more than four years earlier from his own rural neighborhood of Washington County. News 4 contacted the FBI but a spokesperson said they could neither confirm nor deny a complaint had been filed and an investigation was underway. Retelling of the case of Shawn Hornbeck, who as an 11 year old, was kidnapped, and miraculously survived several years of abuse. In his first interview, he tells 48 Hours Mystery his four-year ordeal would "send psychiatrists insane". Shawn had taken this path many times before but this time, Shawn passed by Mike Devlin who bumped him with his truck. And Devlin would later admit to prosecutors that Shawn was getting too old for him, and he abducted Ben because he looked younger, which proved McNamaras theory. He glanced up once and then he didnt look at all, she said. Your email address will not be published. While she was missing, her kidnapper kept her in a shed in the backyard where she was routinely raped and gave birth to two children that were fathered by the kidnapper. On January 12, 2007, police and FBI agents entered the apartment and located Ben Ownby and a second boy sitting on a sofa quietly. Among them, kidnapping then 11-year-old Shawn Hornbeck at gunpoint, then submitting him to years of sexual abuse. One year after Hornbecks release, his parents told PEOPLE he was making progress. Click here to watch the original report from KTVI. He will be missed," said Dawn . A trained staff member will provide confidential, judgment-free support as well as local resources to assist in healing, recovering and more. After hearing the news of Ownbys abduction, true crime investigator and late wife of comedian Patton Oswalt, Michelle McNamara began investigating the boys abduction. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. ABC 17 News is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation. Shawn Hornbeck was alive and had been living with Devlin as a hostage for over four years. With the world transfixed on his story, Shawn spoke to Oprah Winfrey about his experience in 2007. My Spidey-senses were up, almost immediately.. He admitted to abducting Ownby. Al Nothum of the Missouri Highway Patrol said the first thing police want to know is who took the photos. In 2014, it appears Hornbeck tweeted about Willett by name, writing, Thank you to Lynn Willet for giving me back freedom., She later replied, on the 2015 anniversary of his freedom, Today will always have great meaning for me and my team. ", In a 2013 interview, Shawn, then 21, said, "You cant give up. What nobody knew at the time was that Shawn was still alive and had been taken to an apartment in Kirkwood, where hed live with his kidnapper for the next four years. The following day, the FBI followed a tip on a white pick-up truck that brought them to a pizzeria in Kirkwood. When investigators confronted Devlin, he finally confessed to Ben's kidnapping - and stunned the detectives when he said he also had Shawn. Sweet because Shawn was back home after having been . Since then, Shasta has struggled with drug and alcohol abuse, but in a 2015 interview, said she was getting her life back on track and was on her way to being a mother. Kevin Palmer of North Bay, Ontario Canada is hoping the FBI office in St. Louis will launch a new investigation into Devlin that leads to charges for an attempted abduction in December 1998. His story made national headlines in 2007 as the "Missouri Miracle. Speaking out for the first time, Shawn Hornbeck says his four years of being held captive . Then read more about Dennis Martin, the six-year-old boy who disappeared in the Great Smokey Mountains. Our only wish would have been to help you sooner. Akers served in the United States Air Force and was a member of Patriot Guard. The driver, Mike Devlin rushed to Shawn and appeared to be concerned for his safety. Shawn Hornbeck was missing for over four years before being discovered on January 12, 2007, along with another teenage boy, Ben Ownby. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. The discovery that Hornbeck was still alive after his abduction near Richwoods in 2003, was dubbed, The Missouri Miracle. "We're not just looking at the person in the picture, but obviously you look at everything in the background or the quality of the film or of the digital picture. Find out where she is today following the death of her daughter, Caylee. Shawn Hornbeck married and became a father. Among them, kidnapping then 11-year-old Shawn Hornbeck at gunpoint, then submitting him to years of sexual abuse. Devlin took him to an apartment in nearby Kirkwood, where he was held captive for the next four years. Inside, Willett said, Hornbeck and Ownby were playing video games., Ben just shot up and was in that fight-or-flight [mode], Willett said. I just wanted to walk away and the guy got upset, I dont know, irritated. Shawn was found alive and his kidnapper arrested in January 2007. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Willett retired from the FBI in 2010. Eventually, Willett was able to get a confession from Devlin, and the FBI raided his apartment in search of the boys. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here. Since her 2003 rescue, Smart credits her Mormon faith and her supportive, loving family as helping her deal with the aftermath of trauma. What is Shawn Hornbeck doing today? She admitted to still getting scared when walking the streets at night. I had a sense very early on, based on the way he was answering questions, that it wasnt quite adding up.. During the show, self-proclaimed psychic Sylvia Browne told them Shawn was dead and provided details about the crime that were later proven to be falsehoods. Im a bad person, she said he confessed to her. The shocking photos appear to show Hornbeck, now 15, inside or near the apartment of Michael Devlin, the 41-year-old man charged with kidnapping him and 13-year-old Ben Ownby. After years of unimaginable dread, his parents were finally able to welcome their son home after Devlin was caught kidnapping another boy-13-year-old Ben Ownby. Did Patty Hearst have Stockholm syndrome? We located Ben this afternoon in the City of Kirkwood and we also located Shawn Hornbeck, who was at the same residence. The news spread all across the world. Is dumpster diving legal in Missouri and Illinois? The couple appeared on The Montel Williams Show shortly after Shawns abduction to raise awareness of the case. We won't post to any of your accounts without asking first. LOUIS - Six months ago, Shawn Hornbeck disappeared again. He said a police report was filed at the time, but years passed and it became a distant memory. Get the Android Weather app from Google Play, BEFORE YOU GO: What to know for CITY SCs home opener, Win a Midday Makeover from Studio STL and West County, Hold my beer its time to sign up for the St. Patricks, Tims Travels: Dreaming in silestone and slabs its, Downtown is turning green for St. Patricks Day Parade, The 7brew Crew brings kindness, joy and of course,, Freshen up finds: Give your skin a slug-hug, What the Cluck! All Rights Reserved. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 15. On October 6, 2002, Shawn Hornbeck was abducted while riding his bike in Richwoods, Missouri. Inside The Terrifying Kidnapping And Miraculous Rescue Of Shawn Hornbeck. However, Shawn eventually became too old for Devlin and the kidnapper was soon was back on the streets to find a new victim. Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. She still has a scar on her forehead from the incident. 'You get so many of these messages. .success{color:#000; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold} Hornbeck, now 25, attended private school after his rescue and later got a factory job in Missouri, according to the Post-Dispatch. Its a good feeling knowing somebody that would do good for anybody, said Hattie Wall. "It's disturbing, but it's not unexpected that there are going to be things revealed from the course of Shawn's captivity that are going to be upsetting to the family," Hornbeck family lawyer Scott Sherman said. He will be missed, said Dawn Robertson, a family friend. He and Ben Ownby, another kidnapped boy, were found in the suburban St. Louis apartment of. Palmer has gone so far as to write out his story and sign a sworn affidavit that his claims are accurate. During those years of not knowing where Shawn was, Craig reached out to other families. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. The agents asked for Devlins permission to search his truck, which he gave. Legal Statement. Shawn Hornbeck, 15, gets a hug from his mother Pam Akers as his stepfather Craig Akers touches his head Saturday, Jan. 13, 2007 in Richwoods, Mo. In 2013, with the help of a local radio station, she attended her first prom. Palmer told News 4 that his father married a woman from Robinson, Illinois and in December 1998 he traveled there with his father and stepmother. Thats what many folks remember about Craig his selflessness. Both he and Ben Ownby still live in the St. Louis area. The shocking photos appear to show Hornbeck, now 15,. The falsehoods hurt the family, but may have fueled the search to find their son alive. Alicias Law directs $5 million of leftover state lottery funds to locate and prosecute people participating in the sexual exploitation of children. . Driving his pickup, he knocked Hornbeck off his bike and kidnapped him. Following Ownbys abduction, true-crime writer and internet sleuth Michelle McNamara examined the case and discovered a connection between Ownbys kidnapping and Hornbecks disappearance. When Shawn came up missing he was 11 years old and was riding his bike alone on October 6, 2002, when Michael Devlin was patrolling quiet roads for months searching for a young victim. In 1996, Tanya was abducted by Thomas Hose, her middle school janitor. The man who fathered kidnapped teen Shawn Hornbeck was a convicted sex offender who did three years in a Missouri prison on drug and sodomy charges, The Post has learned. On Jan. 8, 2007, Ben Ownby was taken while waiting at a bus stop in Beaufort, located in Franklin County. In 1972, when he was just 7 years old, a stranger convinced him that his mother had asked him to pick Stayner up and bring him home. Im not gonna lie there were times when it seemed like I was better off dead.. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. Pam Akers watched her son, Shawn Hornbeck, leave their home in Richwoods, Missouri, about 55 miles southwest of St. Louis, on the afternoon of Oct. 6, 2002. We have some good news for you and probably some unbelievable news. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, When they arrived, Shawn and Ben were inside playing video games. Her case made national news back in 2002 when she was taken from her room at gunpoint at age 14. Patriot Guard members will escort Akers to his final resting place Tuesday in Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, where he will be laid to rest with full military honors.
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