On October 6, 2002, Shawn Hornbeck was abducted while riding his bike in Richwoods, Missouri. Akers served in the United States Air Force and was a member of Patriot Guard. Sweet because Shawn was back home after having been . He admitted to abducting Ownby. 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. 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. 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. It has been called Dr. Seuss Day because of this. Shawn Hornbeck, left, the boy who was held captive for over four years and finally freed in January from the St. Louis area apartment of Michael Devlin, makes a putt as his dad Craig Akers watches . Driving his pickup, he knocked Hornbeck off his bike and kidnapped him. After being attacked with an ice pick behind bars, Devlin was placed in protective custody to live out his sentence. Speaking to the host, he said that he had used the internet to ask his parents a heartbreaking question. Your email address will not be published. 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. Willett said Devlin broke after she told him that tire tracks could be crucial evidence in Ownbys disappearance. In 2002, Shawn was abducted while riding his bike with a friend and was found five years later. Hornbeck was eleven years old on October 6, 2002, when he was kidnapped while riding his bicycle near his home in Richwoods, Missouri. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. That night, Franklin County Sheriff Glen Toelke announced that both boys were found and alive. You look at a lot of things," Nothum said. Among them, kidnapping then 11-year-old Shawn Hornbeck at gunpoint, then submitting him to years of sexual abuse. Five years later, we watched together as Shawn Hornbeck was found alive. Both he and Ben Ownby still live in the St. Louis area. Shawn was with him in the pickup. The Hornbecks hope that the photos can be used as evidence to build a case against Devlin, Sherman said. Chris Jewers For Mailonline
Maybe its part of my mission, to reach out and offer hope., Hornbeck also showed off two tattoos he had, one on each forearm: faith and respect.. During the conversation, Willett cajoled a confession from Devlin. Abducted at the age of 10 in Austria, Natascha was kept in a secret cellar for eight years before she escaped in 2006. Hornbeck, of Richwoods, Mo., had disappeared on Oct. 6, 2002, while riding his bike to a friend's home. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. One of the store managers, a man named Michael Devlin, owned the truck. 18:50 GMT 12 Jan 2021. They had been kidnapped by Michael J. Devlin . He said he plans to continue to seek justice and peace of mind. In Touch Weekly is part of the a360media Entertainment Group.Copyright a360media 2023. 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. , updated He was 57. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. The discovery that Hornbeck was still alive after his abduction near Richwoods in 2003, was dubbed, "The Missouri Miracle". 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. On January 12, 2007, police and FBI agents entered the apartment and located Ben Ownby and a second boy sitting on a sofa quietly. That evening, then-Fraklin County. Palmer has gone so far as to write out his story and sign a sworn affidavit that his claims are accurate. After 13 hours, and with the help of their bus driver, they managed to break free and were rescued. But despite his ordeal, Hornbeck remains optimistic about his future. 'Octomom' Nadya Suleman Is a Proud Mom of 14: See Her Kids Today! That wouldnt be the last time Browne fabricated details about someones disappearance. They had been kidnapped by Michael J. Devlin. Shawn Hornbeck was missing for over four years before being discovered on January 12, 2007, along with another teenage boy. Inside, Willett said, Hornbeck and Ownby were playing video games., Ben just shot up and was in that fight-or-flight [mode], Willett said. But like most kidnapped kids who are later found, she still struggles with the aftermath. He runs right into me., I put my hands on his shoulders, she said. 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. He also pleaded guilty to all the charges against him. Thats when he said he came across a story on Shawn Hornbeck and he says he saw a photo of Michael Devlin. Share this story with your friends and family. That evening, then-Fraklin County Sheriff Glen Toelke made the stunning announcement bothboys had been found and were alive. 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. She was kept in an underground bunker for 10 days before being rescued. We were sitting in the back seat, he was turned to look at me and I was turned to look at him. At the time of his arrest, Hornbeck also lived with Shawns older sisters, Jackie and Jennifer, who were then 7 and 6, respectively. In 2005, serial killer Joseph E. Duncan III broke into 8-year-old Shastas home, killing her mother, stepfather and brother and kidnapping Shasta, who was tortured for two months before being found by a Dennys employee, who called the police. Lynn Willett (@lynnwillett9) January 13, 2015. Most recently, Smart spoke out after Gabby Petitos missing person case took the nation by storm. I never forgot his face, he said. Scroll through the gallery below to see before-and-after photos of famous kids from criminal cases. 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. Willett and Richter joined other FBI agents and local police in going to Devlins apartment in the 400 block of S. Holmes Avenue. He was 14 years old at the time. In 1987, the world watched in anticipation as Jessica, then 18 months old, was pulled out of a well after being trapped there for two days. Market data provided by Factset. You have to stay strong the whole time and you have to just have that strength and just know one day you will be reunited with your family.. The second boy was Shawn Hornbeck, who had disappeared more than four years earlier from his own rural neighborhood of Washington County. The guy tried to entice me to his vehicle. A Missouri man who became part of an international story is being remembered for his selflessness. It transpired that Devlin had kept Shawn tied up for a month in his Kirkwood apartment, and even tried to strangle him at one point, but stopped when the boy promised he would never tell anyone. Shawn Hornbeck was missing for over four years before being discovered on January 12, 2007, along with another teenage boy, Ben Ownby. Devlin confessed to both kidnappings. On October 6, 2002, Shawn, aged 11, was kidnapped by 41-year-old pizza shop boss Michael Devlin. Devlin took him to an apartment in nearby Kirkwood, where he was held captive for the next four years. From Elizabeth Smart to Jaycee Dugard, these kids from famous crime cases are both horrifying and inspiring. Shawn was found alive and his kidnapper arrested in January 2007. The driver, Mike Devlin rushed to Shawn and appeared to be concerned for his safety. Her case made national news back in 2002 when she was taken from her room at gunpoint at age 14. Who Can Benefit From Diaphragmatic Breathing? If you or anyone you know has been sexually abused, call theNational Sexual Assault Hotlineat 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). Kirkwood is about an hour drive from both Richwoods and Beaufort. 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. .error{color:#000; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold} On Jan. 8, 2007, Devlin abducted Ben Ownby at a bus stop in Beaufort, Missouri. "The family looks at it like this: With what they've been through in the last four and a half years in getting Shawn back, they can deal with anything," Sherman said. Authorities are investigating pictures of Shawn Hornbeck that were apparently taken during the four years the Missouri teen was missing. When Craig Akers son, Shawn Hornbeck, went missing, Akers also helped other parents find children who had disappeared. All Rights Reserved. Devlin pleaded not guilt to two counts of kidnapping and one count of armed criminal action, and is being held on $1 million bond. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform. After Mitchell Hults report, the FBI received a tip that a truck matching the description of Devlins was parked at a pizza restaurant in Kirkwood. FILE Shawn Hornbeck and his parents, Pam and Craig Akers, in 2013. I had a sense very early on, based on the way he was answering questions, that it wasnt quite adding up.. She was found six years later with the help of a grocery store clerk who called the police for her. Im a bad person, she said he confessed to her. On Oct. 6, 2002, 11-year-old Shawn Hornbeck straddled his lime green bike and headed to a friends house near Richwoods, Missouri, a small town just outside of St. Louis. 10 years after the 'Missouri Miracle': Shawn Hornbeck speaks Loaded Progress 0:00 / 2:40 Video Quality 576p 540p 360p 270p Video: Ten years after the 'Missouri Miracle', ex-FBI agent recalls. We sat and spoke for quite a while, Willett told the paper. Its their story to tell.. Shawn Hornbeck was an 11 year old boy who was kidnapped while riding his bike to a friend's house near Richwoods, Missouri. The discovery that Hornbeck was still alive after his abduction near Richwoods in 2003, was dubbed, The Missouri Miracle. 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. He would just sit and look at it and stare at it, and he would just talk about these women, and then when he was done, he would turn and look at me, and he would be like, Now were going to do this,' she said in a video about her convicted abductor, Brian David Mitchell. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 2023 FAQS Clear - All Rights Reserved Email In Touch at contact@intouchweekly.com. Among them, kidnapping then 11-year-old Shawn Hornbeck at gunpoint, then submitting him to years of sexual abuse. 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. When You Breathe In Your Diaphragm Does What. Legal Statement. In Touch Weekly has affiliate partnerships so we may receive compensation for some links to products and services. A man behind the wheel of a white pickup truck knocked young Shawn off his lime-green bike. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Kirkwood and Glendale police spoke with Shawn Devlin on more than one occasion in the years prior to Michael Devlins arrest. 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. Since then, Elizabeth, now 34, has been a vocal advocate for child safety rights. The second boy was Shawn Hornbeck, who had disappeared more than four years earlier from his own rural neighborhood of Washington County. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. 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. It was a bittersweet Christmas for Craig and Pam Akers and their 16-year-old son, Shawn Hornbeck. The man who kidnapped Shawn Hornbeck and Ben Ownby was identified as Michael J. Devlin, a pizza-restaurant manager. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. 10 years after the 'Missouri Miracle': Shawn Hornbeck speaks out about his ordeal. Later, Devlin admitted he kidnapped Ben because Shawn was getting too old for his liking, unwittingly confirming McNamaras theory. Another child, 13, went missing five years later. 'It was surprising. 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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.. Danielle, whos now a teenager, still suffers from developmental issues, but it was last reported that she was enjoying high school. What is Shawn Hornbeck doing today? Palmer told News 4 that his father married a woman from Robinson,. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. 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. Find out where she is today following the death of her daughter, Caylee. Once it started to rain, they asked him if he wanted to sit in their car for shelter. My Spidey-senses were up, almost immediately.. 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