Shawns case had gone cold, and very little information about Ben was known. On Jan. 8, 2007, Ben Ownby was taken while waiting at a bus stop in Beaufort, located in Franklin County. In 1991, Jaycee, who was 11 at the time, was kidnapped on the street while walking home from school, and she wasnt found for another 18 years. ST. LOUIS (KMOV.com) Ten years ago today, the FBI stormed into a small Kirkwood apartment complex and rescued Shawn Hornbeck and Ben Ownby, marking the day many call The Missouri Miracle. In October 2002, the then 11-year-old Hornbeck was kidnapped while riding his bike to a friends home in Washington County. 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. 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. He bound Shawn Hornbeck, tied him to a futon or a couch inside the apartment and duct taped his mouth closed, assistant prosecutor Rob Livergood told the court. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Then read more about Dennis Martin, the six-year-old boy who disappeared in the Great Smokey Mountains. 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. Our only wish would have been to help you sooner.. It was 1980. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. The Twisted Saga Of Michael Peterson, Kathleen Peterson, And The Real Story Behind 'The Staircase', Meet Mehmed II, The Ottoman Ruler Who Conquered Constantinople And The Last Vestige Of The Roman Empire, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. So, today, at the age of 59, Cary Stayner is incarcerated at the San Quentin State Prison. Is Every Duggar Ridiculously Messy? When the boys were found Gary Toelke, the Franklin County sheriff at the time made the announcement outside his office at a press conference. Authorities are investigating pictures of Shawn Hornbeck that were apparently taken during the four years the Missouri teen was missing. If you use a windshield cover, you can at least forget about scrapping the ice off your windshield to save some time and hassle. 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. Is dumpster diving legal in Missouri and Illinois? He sat with Willett in the back seat, she told the Post-Dispatch. Her case made national news back in 2002 when she was taken from her room at gunpoint at age 14. Shawn Hornbeck was an 11 year old boy who was kidnapped while riding his bike to a friend's house near Richwoods, Missouri. In response to the tragedy, Shawns parents, Pam and Craig Akers, founded the Shawn Hornbeck Foundation and the Hornbeck Search and Rescue Team to assist in searches of abducted children. A description of the vehicle that was wanted in connection with Ben Ownby's kidnapping led police to an apartment complex in the 400 block of South Holmes Street in Kirkwood. He was transferred to Western Missouri Correctional Center in Cameron, Missouri. When Craig Akers son, Shawn Hornbeck, went missing, Akers also helped other parents find children who had disappeared. Her ordeal was later turned into a Lifetime film in 2018 called Girl in the Bunker. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. .success{color:#000; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold} On Jan. 12, 2007, police serving an unrelated warrant at the apartment complex where Devlin lived in Kirkwood, Mo., spotted a white pick-up truck that matched the description of the one reportedly used in the abduction of Ownby four days earlier in Beaufort, Mo. Devlin will spend the rest of his life in prison, but not until one last court appearance today. 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. Theyre doing good. Tortured and threatened with death, Hornbeck had allowed Devlin to present him as his son. Photo: AP Photo/Tom Gannam; AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, 24 Years After White Supremacists Lynched Her Dad, Daughter Speaks Out About Trauma and Journey to Peace, Daughter Sues Hospital for 'Assault, Battery, and False Imprisonment' of Kidney Patient Father, Retired Mo. [He] is doing really well, a retired sheriff who worked on his case told the paper. Undergoing horrible ordeals as children, from kidnapping to abuse, they all managed to survive and tell their stories. Who was Kenneth Parnell's accomplice? In Beaufort, on January 8, 2007, he kidnapped Ben Ownby from a bus stop, with Shawn in the pick up truck with him. Severe Weather She was found six years later with the help of a grocery store clerk who called the police for her. Hes into video production and has shown me some of his work.. Hornbeck was restrained for the first month and nearly strangled by Devlin. In Gabbys case in particular, I mean, I was alive, and I came home, and hers tragically has not ended that way, Smart said during a sit-down interview with Jada Pinkett Smith and Jadas mother, Adrienne Banfield-Norris, which aired in October 2021. Devlin pleaded not guilt to two counts of kidnapping and one count of armed criminal action, and is being held on $1 million bond. Speaking out for the first time, Shawn Hornbeck says his four years of being held captive . He even reportedly attended a local school dance in December with a girl students described as his "girlfriend.". Ownby had been missing for four days when police entered a small apartment in Kirkwood, Missouri, to find both boys. The man who kidnapped Shawn Hornbeck and Ben Ownby was identified as Michael J. Devlin, a pizza-restaurant manager. FILE Shawn Hornbeck and his parents, Pam and Craig Akers, in 2013. When investigators confronted Devlin, he finally confessed to Ben's kidnapping - and stunned the detectives when he said he also had Shawn. 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. For the four years that followed, Shawn believed that his family would be harmed if he tried to run. 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. Just one day before the miraculous discovery, McNamara theorized Ownby was targeted because of his youthful appearance. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, They spent every penny they had to find Shawn, and made multiple media appearances to raise awareness. After Shawns disappearance, Pam and Craig Akers dedicated every second of their lives to finding their son. Shawn was 11 when he was kidnapped by Michael Devlin in 2002 near his home in Washington County, Mo. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. His story made national headlines in 2007 as the "Missouri Miracle. What did you feel doing that? Once found, Natascha gave dozens of interviews, released two memoirs, and even had a film based on her ordeal. Many have speculated that the teen is a victim of Stockholm Syndrome, a trauma-induced psychological condition in which a kidnapping victim or hostage develops feelings of loyalty toward his or her captor. 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. Shawn, who was missing since Oct. 2002, was. Task force officials say the images are a top priority, but are not sure at this point how important they will be to their ongoing investigation. All Rights Reserved. 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. Email In Touch at contact@intouchweekly.com. The disappearance and reunion with Shawn made international headlines. Most recently, Smart spoke out after Gabby Petitos missing person case took the nation by storm.
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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.. The agents asked for Devlins permission to search his truck, which he gave. They had been kidnapped by Michael J. Devlin . Both he and Ben Ownby still live in the St. Louis area. Listen Now On Jan. 12, 2007, Ben Ownby, 13, and Shawn Hornbeck, 15, were saved from Michael Devlin's apartment in St. Louis County. Retired Franklin County Sheriff Gary Toelke was heavily involved in the search for Ownby and subsequent investigation of Devlin since Ownby was kidnapped in Beaufort. I never forgot his face, he said. That evening, then-Fraklin County Sheriff Glen Toelke made the stunning announcement bothboys had been found and were alive. Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. Market data provided by Factset. During those years of not knowing where Shawn was, Craig reached out to other families. Daily News & Weather Updates I was looking at him saying, Youre safe. . On Jan. 8, 2007, Devlin abducted Ben Ownby at a bus stop in Beaufort, Missouri. Alicias Law directs $5 million of leftover state lottery funds to locate and prosecute people participating in the sexual exploitation of children. He spoke to reporters in 2013 following the dramatic discovery of three trapped women in Cleveland. Shawn was with him in the pickup. Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Community Guidelines | KMIZ-TV FCC Public File | FCC Applications |, Breaking News That was more traumatizing than the original event itself, he said. After reading about Shawn Hornbeck and Ben Ownbys kidnappings, read the story of Lauren Spierer, the college student who disappeared without a trace. Since her ordeal made headlines in 2009, Jaycee, now 41, has published two memoirs and continues to speak publicly about her experience. Danielle, whos now a teenager, still suffers from developmental issues, but it was last reported that she was enjoying high school. Theres hardly any place he can go that somebody doesnt recognize him and want to give him a hug, his mom said. The shocking photos appear to show Hornbeck, now 15,. I just feel like its always going to be part of my life, he said at the time, of his own abduction and captivity. Ill. coroner explains how wife didnt notice body, Check out these new must-see Missouri attractions, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. "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. #subscriptionResponse{color:#000; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold}. Devlin took him to an apartment in nearby Kirkwood, where he was held captive for the next four years. Another child, 13, went missing five years later. "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. For Smart, she was able to turn her traumatic experience with being kidnapped at 14 into an advocacy career. Shes now 25 years old, has two sons and lives in Idaho. Shawn Hornbeck hugs his family after being rescued from the home of Michael Devlin. I had a sense very early on, based on the way he was answering questions, that it wasnt quite adding up.. Is dumpster diving legal in Missouri and Illinois? 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. The truck matched a description given by 15-year-old Mitchell Hults of a vehicle he spotted in the vicinity of Ownbys abduction. The Oct. 6, 2002 kidnapping of Richwoods 11-year-old Shawn Hornbeck while riding his bike to a friend's house, . This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. He was torn away from rural Richwoods, Mo., and taken to Kirkwood, more than 60 miles away. Shawn Hornbeck married and became a father. When buying cowboy boots, there are a few aspects to consider, such as how far up they go on your legs and their design. Please note that this form cannot be used to reset your Google or Facebook password. Retelling of the case of Shawn Hornbeck, who as an 11 year old, was kidnapped, and miraculously survived several years of abuse. On December 4, 1972, Stayner, age 7, was abducted in Merced, California by child molester Kenneth Parnell. Did Patty Hearst have Stockholm syndrome? Authorities said they are trying to authenticate the images, but are working under the assumption that the photos are genuine, FOX News affiliate KTVI in St. Louis reported. Hornbeck was reported missing by his family on Oct. 5, 2002, after he didn't return home from school in Richwoods, Mo. All rights reserved. Hornbeck was eleven years old on October 6, 2002, when he was kidnapped while riding his bicycle near his home in Richwoods, Missouri. The falsehoods hurt the family, but may have fueled the search to find their son alive. Pictured with Hornbeck are his parents. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. 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 planned to ride his bike to a . Since her 2003 rescue, Smart credits her Mormon faith and her supportive, loving family as helping her deal with the aftermath of trauma. .error{color:#000; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold} Eventually, Willett was able to get a confession from Devlin, and the FBI raided his apartment in search of the boys. Palmer told News 4 that his father married a woman from Robinson,. Inside The Terrifying Kidnapping And Miraculous Rescue Of Shawn Hornbeck. 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. Devlin eventually allowed Shawn to go out with friends, get a cellphone and go on dates, but he didn't go to school. 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! When Shawn came up missing he was 11 years old and. In 1996, Tanya was abducted by Thomas Hose, her middle school janitor. This undated handout photo provided by the FBI shows Shawn Hornbeck as he was pictured on a missing person poster from 2002. 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. A Missouri man who became part of an international story is being remembered for his selflessness. It has touched everyone, what this familys been through, and what Craig did for other families also, said Todd Mahn, the owner of the funeral home. It was strange. Willett and the others saw two boys playing video games in the apartment: Ben Ownby, whom they immediately recognized, and a now 15-year-old Shawn Hornbeck. 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. Your email address will not be published. ", In a 2013 interview, Shawn, then 21, said, "You cant give up. In 2002, Shawn was abducted while riding his bike with a friend and was found five years later. In 2013, the now 26-year-old gave her first interview since the kidnapping where she said she was attending college and planning to be a veterinarian. 15:21 GMT 12 Jan 2021 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. Copyright 2023 RiverBender.com.com All rights reserved. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here. Other members of the organization founded the Missouri Valley Search and Rescue Team to continue the mission of helping families of missing children and adults. Police went on a search for Hornbeck, but were unable to discover the boys whereabouts. Did Patty Hearst have Stockholm syndrome? In 2011, she described her kidnapper as a cool mom.. or redistributed. Devlin later pleaded guilty to dozens of counts in both boys disappearances. Using the name Shawn Devlin, he cryptically wrote, How long are you planning to look for your son?. The couple appeared on The Montel Williams Show shortly after Shawns abduction to raise awareness of the case. Bens abduction and Hults quick thinking would eventually turn out to be Shawns salvation. 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. Contrary to what Browne told the family on national television, Shawn was still alive. In May of that year, the Akers family determined they didnt have the time and resources necessary to commit to the foundation and rescue team. Devlin opened the front door to his apartment and allowed the FBI and police to go inside. He will be missed, said Dawn Robertson, a family friend. Click here to watch the original report from KTVI. Hornbecks life suffered a severe schism when he was allegedly kidnapped at the age of 11. You look at a lot of things," Nothum said. He was 14 years old at the time. Hornbeck and Ownby were discovered after police noticed Devlins white pickup truck in the apartment complex parking lot. Shawn Hornbeck, his mother Pam Akers, left, and step-father Craig Akers, greet friends as they walk into the press conference Saturday, January 13, 2007 at Richwoods School. That fall Devlin pleaded guilty to multiple counts of kidnapping and sexual assault and was sentenced to 74 life . Even now theyre strong together, said Jason Huncovsky, Akers son-in-law. Was that a way to connect with them? That October, Devlin pleaded guilty to all the charges and received 74 life sentences and an additional term of 2,020 years. Investigators say the images show a "different side" of Hornbeck, and they hope that they will help them piece together the teen's puzzling disappearance. 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