After hearing the news of Ownbys abduction, true crime investigator and late wife of comedian Patton Oswalt, Michelle McNamara began investigating the boys abduction. . Thats what many folks remember about Craig his selflessness. ST. LOUIS, MO (KMOV) A Canadian man learned the man who tried to abduct him years ago, was Michael Devlin. The National Read Across America Day takes place every year on March 2, Geisels birthday. Its their story to tell.. Send it to us! 'This is the best day of our lives. 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. He is serving 74 life sentences. Devlin told FBI agents the reason he began looking for another boy was that Shawn was getting too old. In April 2011, a fellow inmate attacked and stabbed Devlin with a homemade ice pick. I was looking at him saying, Youre safe. . Craig Akers died July 15, 2019, from bladder cancer. 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. Hes into video production and has shown me some of his work.. He was 57. On December 4, 1972, Stayner, age 7, was abducted in Merced, California by child molester Kenneth Parnell. 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. Have a tip? A man behind the wheel of a white pickup truck knocked young Shawn off his lime-green bike. Today, Devlin continues serving three life sentences at Crossroads. 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. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here. Visit FOXNews.com's Crime Center for complete coverage. Prosecutors in Franklin, Washington, and St. Louis counties hit Devlin with dozens of charges, including kidnapping, use of a deadly weapon, molestation, and production of child pornography. 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. Alicias Law directs $5 million of leftover state lottery funds to locate and prosecute people participating in the sexual exploitation of children. In the interview, he revealed what he really thought about suspicions that he and his parents were involved with his sisters death. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Abducted at the age of 10 in Austria, Natascha was kept in a secret cellar for eight years before she escaped in 2006. On Monday night, friends and family arrive at the Mahn Funeral Home in DeSoto for the visitation of Craig Akers. All rights reserved. He wont be eligible for parole until hes 100. 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. 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! The National Read Across America Day takes place every year on March 2, Geisels birthday. 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Ownby was kidnapped in January of 2007 in Beaufort and it was during that investigation that Ownby and Hornbeck were found in Devlins Kirkwood apartment. 90 Day Fiance's Hamza's Green Card Status 'Battle' Amid Memphis Divorce. One year after Hornbecks release, his parents told PEOPLE he was making progress. Im not gonna lie there were times when it seemed like I was better off dead.. One of Bens friends, Mitchell Hults heard Bens cries and reported the truck to the police. How many years was Shawn Hornbeck missing? As he peddled through the small-town streets he was bumped by a white truck. When then-FBI Special Agent Lynn Willett went to a pizza shop in Kirkwood, Missouri, 10 years ago, she did not expect to leave with a kidnapper in custody. 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. In 2011, she described her kidnapper as a cool mom.. Anytime a child was missing he was the first onesick as a dogget up and try to help, said friend Angela Forshee. Two federal agentsLynn Willett and Tina Richterasked permission to search the truck, which Devlin allowed. Hornbecks life suffered a severe schism when he was allegedly kidnapped at the age of 11. Thats when he said he came across a story on Shawn Hornbeck and he says he saw a photo of Michael Devlin. With the world transfixed on his story, Shawn spoke to Oprah Winfrey about his experience in 2007. The pair talked for hours. During the investigation we found out that he did go looking for other children and he had about a sixty-mile radius around the area where he lived going over into Illinois and into Missouri, said Toelke. . The white beat-up white truck that Mitchell described to police sat outside the apartment. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Both he and Ben Ownby still live in the St. Louis area. 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. Inside The Terrifying Kidnapping And Miraculous Rescue Of Shawn Hornbeck. Market data provided by Factset. She linked the two abductions before the authorities did and even used online maps to guess as to where they were being held. 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. 10 years after the 'Missouri Miracle': Shawn Hornbeck speaks out about his ordeal. 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. But despite his ordeal, Hornbeck remains optimistic about his future. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. My Spidey-senses were up, almost immediately.. 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. Once a cold case, the Missouri Miracle serves as evidence that determination, quick thinking, and an eye for detail can bring sometimes justice. What They've Said, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window). Speaking to the host, he said that he had used the internet to ask his parents a heartbreaking question. 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. That evening, then-Fraklin County Sheriff Glen Toelke made the stunning announcement bothboys had been found and were alive. That October, Devlin pleaded guilty to all the charges and received 74 life sentences and an additional term of 2,020 years. SALT LAKE CITY (AP) Teenage kidnapping survivor Elizabeth Smart has given birth to her third child. He admitted to abducting Ownby. 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. In 2016, Burke, now 34, broke his silence and gave his first interview on Dr. Phil. Devlin pleaded not guilt to two counts of kidnapping and one count of armed criminal action, and is being held on $1 million bond. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Though Ben was two years older than Shawn, he looked young for his age, and both. Shawn said the message had been a cry for hope, and at the time, he just wanted his life to get back to normal - to return to school, to work and to spend more time with his family - including his two sisters. So, today, at the age of 59, Cary Stayner is incarcerated at the San Quentin State Prison. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. He was transferred to Western Missouri Correctional Center in Cameron, Missouri. Willett retired from the FBI in 2010. But like most kidnapped kids who are later found, she still struggles with the aftermath. Hornbeck was eleven years old on October 6, 2002, when he was kidnapped while riding his bicycle near his home in Richwoods, Missouri. It has been called Dr. Seuss Day because of this.
Stayner got in the car and wasn't seen again for eight years. Im proud of [the scars], she told Ladies Home Journal in 2002. Meanwhile, for his tip and information, Mitchell Hults received a reward that included a new pickup truck. 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. But a chance encounter, the dedication of the boys parents, and the work of a now-famous true crime writer would lead to a remarkable rescue that became known as the Missouri Miracle.. Retelling of the case of Shawn Hornbeck, who as an 11 year old, was kidnapped, and miraculously survived several years of abuse. Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. During those years of not knowing where Shawn was, Craig reached out to other families. FILE Shawn Hornbeck and his parents, Pam and Craig Akers, in 2013. The guy tried to entice me to his vehicle. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey just days after being reunited with Shawn, the Akerses said they believed their son was sexually abused during his captivity. Nurse Allegedly 'Savagely Beaten' to Death by Her Neighbor with a Baseball Bat, Timeline of Gabby Petito Tragedy 1 Year After Killer Brian Laundrie's Body Was Found, How Jayme Closs, Elizabeth Smart, Jaycee Dugard and Others Survived Headline-Making Abductions, Ahead of Sherri Papini's Sentencing, Look Back at PEOPLE's 2017 Cover Story on the Bizarre Case, TexasGirl'sAbduction Inspired the Lifesaving 'Amber Alert,' but 26 Years Later Her Own Case Remains Unsolved, N.C. Man Charged with 1986 Murder of 4-Year-Old Girl, Who Was Taken from Bed While Family Slept, the retired agent remembered in a recent interview, ended years of abuse, threats and manipulation for Hornbeck. When You Breathe In Your Diaphragm Does What. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Palmer has gone so far as to write out his story and sign a sworn affidavit that his claims are accurate. The following day, the FBI followed a tip on a white pick-up truck that brought them to a pizzeria in Kirkwood. . 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. Shawn Hornbeck hugs his family after being rescued from the home of Michael Devlin. Shawn, then 15, told his 41-year-old captor that . She still stays in touch with her colleagues who helped solve the case. It was a bittersweet Christmas for Craig and Pam Akers and their 16-year-old son, Shawn Hornbeck. At the time of his arrest, Hornbeck also lived with Shawns older sisters, Jackie and Jennifer, who were then 7 and 6, respectively. 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.. Devlin eventually allowed Shawn to go out with friends, get a cellphone and go on dates, but he didn't go to school. 'We knew the world knew the answer to that, we had been saying all along we would never stop looking for our son. Shawn Hornbeck stays close to his mother, Pam Akers, during a press conference Saturday, Jan. 13, 2007, in Richwoods, the morning after he was found along with Ben Ownby in a Kirkwood apartment. Driving his pickup, he knocked Hornbeck off his bike and kidnapped him. Did Patty Hearst have Stockholm syndrome? A year after ordeal, kidnapped boy doing well. Please note that this form cannot be used to reset your Google or Facebook password. Shawn Hornbeck was missing for over four years before being discovered on January 12, 2007, along with another teenage boy. Both boys allegedly had been kidnapped by Devlin . This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. After reading about Shawn Hornbeck and Ben Ownbys kidnappings, read the story of Lauren Spierer, the college student who disappeared without a trace. Hornbeck was eleven years old on October 6, 2002, when he was kidnapped while riding his bicycle near his home in Richwoods, Missouri. Later, Devlin admitted he kidnapped Ben because Shawn was getting too old for his liking, unwittingly confirming McNamaras theory. Devlin later pleaded guilty to dozens of counts in both boys disappearances. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. He even reportedly attended a local school dance in December with a girl students described as his "girlfriend.". The falsehoods hurt the family, but may have fueled the search to find their son alive. We were sitting in the back seat, he was turned to look at me and I was turned to look at him. I just wanted to walk away and the guy got upset, I dont know, irritated. 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. When Craig Akers son, Shawn Hornbeck, went missing, Akers also helped other parents find children who had disappeared. Their cases made national news. 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. #subscriptionResponse{color:#000; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold}. That fall Devlin pleaded guilty to multiple counts of kidnapping and sexual assault and was sentenced to 74 life . I dont remember his exact words, but he realized the time had come, Willett said. Contrary to what Browne told the family on national television, Shawn was still 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. 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. Finding out, what Palmer is convinced is, the identity of the man who tried to abduct him, has taken an emotional toll. The man who kidnapped Shawn Hornbeck and Ben Ownby was identified as Michael J. Devlin, a pizza-restaurant manager. 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 was also made to pose as his abductors son. Their discovery became known as the Missouri Miracle.. Crack the case in FOXNews.com's Crime Center. Speaking out for the first time, Shawn Hornbeck says his four years of being held captive . If it wasn't for Mitchell Hults, a teenage boy who witnessed the kidnapping, the Missouri Miracle probably wouldnt have come true. Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Devlin pleaded guilty to all the counts against him and was sentenced to 72 years behind bars. You look at a lot of things," Nothum said. 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. Shawn Hornbeck stays close to his mother, Pam Akers, during a press conference Saturday, Jan. 13, 2007, in Richwoods, the morning after he was found along with Ben Ownby in a Kirkwood. 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. She admitted to still getting scared when walking the streets at night. Did Patty Hearst have Stockholm syndrome? Copyright 2023 RiverBender.com.com All rights reserved. Devlin confessed to both kidnappings. In 2012, a few of the victims spoke out for the first time about their ordeal, a few admitting that they still suffer from psychological trauma from the experience. Click here to watch the original report from KTVI. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved.
Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Community Guidelines | KMIZ-TV FCC Public File | FCC Applications |, Breaking News At 14, Elizabeth was kidnapped on her way home from school. Daily News & Weather Updates Its a good feeling knowing somebody that would do good for anybody, said Hattie Wall. For Smart, she was able to turn her traumatic experience with being kidnapped at 14 into an advocacy career. 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. Are Janelle, Christine and Meri Suing Kody Over Money From Coyote Pass? When Shawn came up missing he was 11 years old and. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. Using the name Shawn Devlin, he cryptically wrote, How long are you planning to look for your son?. In Touch Weekly is part of the a360media Entertainment Group.Copyright a360media 2023. The second boy was Shawn Hornbeck, who had disappeared more than four years earlier from his own rural neighborhood of Washington County. It was 1980. Authorities are investigating pictures of Shawn Hornbeck that were apparently taken during the four years the Missouri teen was missing. 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. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. He sat with Willett in the back seat, she told the Post-Dispatch. She was found six years later with the help of a grocery store clerk who called the police for her. He will be missed," said Dawn . He was told to go in first, so as to not raise any alarm with the boys. KIRKWOOD - Fourteen years ago today in a suburb of St. Louis called Kirkwood, Missouri, the term Missouri Miracle came about. On a daily basis you get so many weird, out there message.'. 'You get so many of these messages. It has been called Dr. Seuss Day because of this. Contests & Promotions, 2023, The Networks of Mid-Missouri Columbia, MO USA, JC Public Works announces more street closures, Federal grand jury indicts man on hate crime charges after he allegedly shot 2 Jewishmen in Los Angelesin February, All flights grounded at airport near Penn State University over suspicious device, 100 passengers bused to campus, Fire at Indonesian fuel storage station kills at least 16, A string of gruesome cat killings has this Japanese city on edge. After being attacked with an ice pick behind bars, Devlin was placed in protective custody to live out his sentence. 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'. Since then, Tanya, now 40, has released a memoir, Memoir of a Milk Carton Kid: The Tanya Nicole Kach Story, and lives in Pennsylvania. It was the case of Steven Stayner, who escaped from his abductor after the man took another child. Devlin went to Beaufort, Missouri, where he kidnapped Ben Ownby from his bus stop. 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. Shawn would even reach out to his parents on a website they set up to receive tips on his disappearance. "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. Shawn Hornbeck was an 11 year old boy who was kidnapped while riding his bike to a friend's house near Richwoods, Missouri. Palmer said he was scrolling through stories on YouTube about children whod been abducted and were able to escape later. Is dumpster diving legal in Missouri and Illinois? 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. Listen Now On Jan. 12, 2007, Ben Ownby, 13, and Shawn Hornbeck, 15, were saved from Michael Devlin's apartment in St. Louis County. Crystal Britt talked about the emotions of that day as we look back on Shawn and Ben Ownbys remarkable rescue. In 1996, Tanya was abducted by Thomas Hose, her middle school janitor. If you use a windshield cover, you can at least forget about scrapping the ice off your windshield to save some time and hassle. Since then, Elizabeth, now 34, has been a vocal advocate for child safety rights. Hornbeck, of Richwoods, Mo., had disappeared on Oct. 6, 2002, while riding his bike to a friend's home. In his first interview, he tells 48 Hours Mystery his four-year ordeal would "send psychiatrists insane". Theres hardly any place he can go that somebody doesnt recognize him and want to give him a hug, his mom said. However, Shawn eventually became too old for Devlin and the kidnapper was soon was back on the streets to find a new victim. .success{color:#000; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold} The Oct. 6, 2002 kidnapping of Richwoods 11-year-old Shawn Hornbeck while riding his bike to a friend's house, . Shawn was 11 when he was kidnapped by Michael Devlin in 2002 near his home in Washington County, Mo. 18:50 GMT 12 Jan 2021. When his 11-year-old son was kidnapped in October 2002, Craig became very dedicated in finding his boy. The discovery that Hornbeck was still alive after his abduction near Richwoods in 2003, was dubbed, "The Missouri Miracle". Is dumpster diving legal in Missouri and Illinois? Adding to his isolation, he was apparently never re-enrolled in school and evidently made few friends in Devlins apartment complex. 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. Washington. Shawn always took the same route and his parents trusted him to ride alone. His widow, Pam, and son Shawn apparently share a special bond that is helping them during this time of loss. Devlin pleaded guilty to all the charges and received 74 life sentences and an additional term of 2,020 years. Due to lack of funds and time, The Shawn Hornbeck Foundation was closed, but members helped found the Missouri Valley Search and Rescue Team to continue the work. Shawn Hornbeck (center) talks with the media about missing women found in Cleveland during interviews in downtown St. Louis on Wednesday, May 8, 2013. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 15. Devlin took him to an apartment in nearby Kirkwood, where he was held captive for the next four years. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. McNamara also correctly theorized that Devlin was drawn to the boys because they looked much younger than their actual ages. FBI and Police from across Missouri started searching four days earlier for Ben Ownby who was kidnapped from his rural bus stop in Franklin County, Missouri. On Jan. 8, 2007, Ben Ownby was taken while waiting at a bus stop in Beaufort, located in Franklin County. Among them, kidnapping then 11-year-old Shawn Hornbeck at gunpoint, then submitting him to years of sexual abuse. 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. Shawn told no one about his situation, and nobody in Kirkwood suspected that he was the missing boy from Richmond - 50 miles away. The Most Binge-Worthy True Crime Docs You Have to Watch Now, Why Did the Menendez Brothers Kill Their Parents? Al Nothum of the Missouri Highway Patrol said the first thing police want to know is who took the photos. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Undergoing horrible ordeals as children, from kidnapping to abuse, they all managed to survive and tell their stories. Shawn planned to ride his bike to a friends house. 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. The truck matched a description given by 15-year-old Mitchell Hults of a vehicle he spotted in the vicinity of Ownbys abduction. Mitchell Hults of Franklin County saw the truck near the scene of the crime, telling investigators. I dont know what to say to that, because I know thats not what happened, he said. Meanwhile, Shawn Hornbeck was allowed to see friends and even use a cellphone after Devlin believed that the boy wouldnt try to run or reach the authorities. Craig sadly passed away in 2019 from bladder cancer aged 57, with Pam saying she was 'so grateful he got to spend more time with Shawn'. 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. After a dozen days later, Patty was spotted wielding an assault weapon on a bank surveillance camera during an SLA bank robbery. Chris Jewers For Mailonline
In an interview on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," Hornbeck said he was too "terrified" to try to escape from Devlin's clutches.
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