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. As he peddled through the small-town streets he was bumped by a white truck. Meanwhile, for his tip and information, Mitchell Hults received a reward that included a new pickup truck. Another child, 13, went missing five years later. The driver, Mike Devlin rushed to Shawn and appeared to be concerned for his safety. 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. Did Patty Hearst have Stockholm syndrome? 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. But thats exactly what happened, the retired agent remembered in a recent interview looking back on the Missouri Miracle, when two missing boys were discovered abducted by the same man. Their cases made national news. 'You get so many of these messages. Ownby, 23, lives and attends school in the St. Louis area, according to the Post-Dispatch. Im an important cog in it, but its a personal thing for each boy and their family. Our only wish would have been to help you sooner. The National Read Across America Day takes place every year on March 2, Geisels birthday. "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. Later, Devlin admitted he kidnapped Ben because Shawn was getting too old for his liking, unwittingly confirming McNamaras theory. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. 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. Contrary to what Browne told the family on national television, Shawn was still alive. After Shawns disappearance, Pam and Craig Akers dedicated every second of their lives to finding their son. Shawn Hornbeck Foundation - Wikipedia 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Danielle, whos now a teenager, still suffers from developmental issues, but it was last reported that she was enjoying high school. 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 2002, Shawn was abducted while riding his bike with a friend and was found five years later. Shawn planned to ride his bike to a . With the world transfixed on his story, Shawn spoke to Oprah Winfrey about his experience in 2007. The officers questioned Devlin, but he refused to let them search his apartment. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Sweet because Shawn was back home after having been . 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). FBI/GettyThis undated handout photo provided by the FBI shows Shawn Hornbeck as he was pictured on a missing person poster from 2002. Shawn Hornbeck: FBI Agent Reveals How Mike Devlin Confessed - Peoplemag (KFVS) Eleven-year-old Shawn Hornbeck went missing in 2002. He even reportedly attended a local school dance in December with a girl students described as his "girlfriend.". 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. 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. He sat with Willett in the back seat, she told the Post-Dispatch. What did you feel doing that? Your email address will not be published. On Monday night, friends and family arrive at the Mahn Funeral Home in DeSoto for the visitation of Craig Akers. Shawn is grown up. Shawn would go on to recount his experience on television where he detailed his abuse, the lies he was forced to tell, and his years in the apartment. 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. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. . Her case made national news back in 2002 when she was taken from her room at gunpoint at age 14. For the four years that followed, Shawn believed that his family would be harmed if he tried to run. They also started the Shawn Hornbeck Foundation to help other families find their missing and abducted children. When they arrived, Shawn and Ben were inside playing video games. A year after ordeal, kidnapped boy doing well. After a dozen days later, Patty was spotted wielding an assault weapon on a bank surveillance camera during an SLA bank robbery. Hornbecks life suffered a severe schism when he was allegedly kidnapped at the age of 11. Shawn Hornbeck was an 11 year old boy who was kidnapped while riding his bike to a friends house near Richwoods, Missouri. If you use a windshield cover, you can at least forget about scrapping the ice off your windshield to save some time and hassle. 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. If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here. Thats my first clue. 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. Adding to his isolation, he was apparently never re-enrolled in school and evidently made few friends in Devlins apartment complex. Eventually, Willett was able to get a confession from Devlin, and the FBI raided his apartment in search of the boys. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Have a tip? 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. 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! Required fields are marked *. In 2013, with the help of a local radio station, she attended her first prom. Its a good feeling knowing somebody that would do good for anybody, said Hattie Wall. Their discovery would become known as the Missouri Miracle. Some thought they would never be found alive and their abductor was hiding in plain sight. 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. Ill. coroner explains how wife didnt notice body, Check out these new must-see Missouri attractions, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. When investigators confronted Devlin, he finally confessed to Ben's kidnapping - and stunned the detectives when he said he also had Shawn. Once a cold case, the Missouri Miracle serves as evidence that determination, quick thinking, and an eye for detail can bring sometimes justice. 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 . 'This is the best day of our lives. Shawn had taken this path many times before but this time, Shawn passed by Mike Devlin who bumped him with his truck. Hornbeck was eleven years old on October 6, 2002, when he was kidnapped while riding his bicycle near his home in Richwoods, Missouri. In 2011, she described her kidnapper as a cool mom.. Kirkwood and Glendale police spoke with Shawn Devlin on more than one occasion in the years prior to Michael Devlins arrest. When the boys were found Gary Toelke, the Franklin County sheriff at the time made the announcement outside his office at a press conference. 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. What Shawn Went Through - Newsweek That night, Franklin County Sheriff Glen Toelke announced that both boys were found and alive. 'We knew the world knew the answer to that, we had been saying all along we would never stop looking for our son. 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. He was 57. Stayner got in the car and wasn't seen again for eight years. During those years of not knowing where Shawn was, Craig reached out to other families. ST. LOUIS, MO (KMOV) A Canadian man learned the man who tried to abduct him years ago, was Michael Devlin. They had been kidnapped by Michael J. Devlin . The truck matched a description given by 15-year-old Mitchell Hults of a vehicle he spotted in the vicinity of Ownbys abduction. Im a bad person, she said he confessed to her. Craig Akers dies 12 years after his missing son, Shawn Hornbeck, was Scroll through the gallery below to see before-and-after photos of famous kids from criminal cases. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. The white beat-up white truck that Mitchell described to police sat outside the apartment. The shocking photos appear to show Hornbeck, now 15,. Thats when he said he came across a story on Shawn Hornbeck and he says he saw a photo of Michael Devlin. Hornbeck was eleven years old on October 6, 2002, when he was kidnapped while riding his bicycle near his home in Richwoods, Missouri. Revisiting the 'Missouri Miracle' two decades after Shawn Hornbeck Authorities are investigating pictures of Shawn Hornbeck that were apparently taken during the four years the Missouri teen was missing. "I've begun the process of healing and look forward to making up for the time I have lost with my family and education," he. ', His father Craig said he could remember the message, telling the host:'I remember reading it, I remember thinking to myself either this is someone with that name or this is someone trying to yank my chain.'. Life returning to normal for Ben Ownby - TODAY.com 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. Market data provided by Factset. 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. O'Reilly: Abducted child "liked his circumstances," had "a lot more "Craig was a dedicated family man. The Shawn Hornbeck Foundation ceased operations in 2013. 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.. That was more traumatizing than the original event itself, he said. Shawn was also made to pose as his abductors son. If you use a windshield cover, you can at least forget about scrapping the ice off your windshield to save some time and hassle. I dont remember his exact words, but he realized the time had come, Willett said. On October 6, 2002, Shawn, aged 11, was kidnapped by 41-year-old pizza shop boss Michael Devlin. Email In Touch at contact@intouchweekly.com. What is Shawn Hornbeck doing today? 15 years since the 'Missouri Miracle': How two kidnapped boys were Devlin pleaded guilty to all the counts against him and was sentenced to 72 years behind bars. We have some good news for you and probably some unbelievable news. One of the most disturbing of the more than a dozen images obtained by KTVI appears to show Hornbeck with his face shrouded in a red bandana pointing a gun at the camera. 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. Confession coaxed out by FBI agent helped lead to rescue of - STLtoday 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. 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. Shawn, then 15, told his 41-year-old captor that . 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. In 2013, she said that she has moved on.. 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. Akers served in the United States Air Force and was a member of Patriot Guard. But despite his ordeal, Hornbeck remains optimistic about his future. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Devlin later pleaded guilty to dozens of counts in both boys disappearances. She lives in Utah with her husband and two-year-old daughter. I was looking at him saying, Youre safe. . When You Breathe In Your Diaphragm Does What. He was 14 years old at the time. A year after ordeal, kidnapped boy doing well - TODAY.com He said, I have Shawn [Hornbeck, missing since 2002]. I said, Take us to him. , Willett told the Post-Dispatch that Devlin took the agents to his ground-floor apartment nearby. Shawn Hornbeck married and became a father. Anytime a child was missing he was the first onesick as a dogget up and try to help, said friend Angela Forshee. Police went on a search for Hornbeck, but were unable to discover the boys whereabouts. Kidnap Victim Shawn Hornbeck Opens Up About Captivity Hell - Peoplemag In a split second, Devlin kidnapped Shawn, telling the boy that he, was just at the wrong place at the wrong time. Five years later, Devlin kidnapped 13-year-old Ben Ownby in the same truck. Shawn Hornbeck married and became a father. According to Palmer, while walking back from a video rental store, a man in a pickup pulled up and tried to get Palmer to accept a ride. He spoke to reporters in 2013 following the dramatic discovery. #subscriptionResponse{color:#000; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold}. Shawn was 11 when he was kidnapped by Michael Devlin in 2002 near his home in Washington County, Mo. He glanced up once and then he didnt look at all, she said. 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. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here. 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. Hornbeck was reported missing by his family on Oct. 5, 2002, after he didn't return home from school in Richwoods, Mo. 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. The driver grabbed Shawn, put him in his truck, and left. 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On January 12, 2007, police and FBI agents entered the apartment and located Ben Ownby and a second boy sitting on a sofa quietly. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. McNamara, who also led the investigation into the Golden State Killer, found many connections between the two boys. 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. The falsehoods hurt the family, but may have fueled the search to find their son alive. 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. Following Ownbys abduction, true-crime writer and internet sleuth Michelle McNamara examined the case and discovered a connection between Ownbys kidnapping and Hornbecks disappearance. I remember yelling out, I was scared of waking up my dad, Thats, thats him, Thats the same guy from Robinson.'. Shawn had taken this path many times before but this time, Shawn passed by Mike Devlin who bumped him with his truck. California. Kirkwood is about an hour drive from both Richwoods and Beaufort. 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.. The bill was sponsored by Arizona Representative Paul Boyer. In her post, Smart says So happy to welcome Olivia to our family! In 2002, Smart was kidnapped at age 14 from her Salt Lake City bedroom by street preacher Brian David Mitchell and held captive for nine months. Both he and Ben Ownby still live in the St. Louis area. Shawn always took the same route and his parents trusted him to ride alone. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Shawn would even reach out to his parents on a website they set up to receive tips on his disappearance. The discovery that Hornbeck was still alive after his abduction near Richwoods in 2003, was dubbed, The Missouri Miracle. Shawn Hornbeck In 2002, Shawn was abducted while riding his bike with a friend and was found five years later. On a daily basis you get so many weird, out there message.'. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Shawn Hornbeck - Crime Museum 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 was missing for over four years before being discovered on January 12, 2007, along with another teenage boy, Ben Ownby. I just wanted to walk away and the guy got upset, I dont know, irritated. She was 46. Devlin was handed multiple life sentences for a total of more than 4,000 years. 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?. By That wouldnt be the last time Browne fabricated details about someones disappearance. He admitted to abducting Ownby. Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Community Guidelines | KMIZ-TV FCC Public File | FCC Applications |, Breaking News Upon learning the 22-year-old blogger died by strangulation three to four weeks before her body was found in Grand Teton National Park, Smart shared her thoughts onRed Table Talk. Visit FOXNews.com's Crime Center for complete coverage. Shawn Hornbeck, The Kidnapped Boy Behind The 'Missouri Miracle'