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. 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. Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. 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. Hornbeck, of Richwoods, Mo., had disappeared on Oct. 6, 2002, while riding his bike to a friend's home. Devlin went to Beaufort, Missouri, where he kidnapped Ben Ownby from his bus stop. Hornbeck was restrained for the first month and nearly strangled by Devlin. 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. 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.. Most recently, Smart spoke out after Gabby Petitos missing person case took the nation by storm. Was that a way to connect with them? But like most kidnapped kids who are later found, she still struggles with the aftermath. ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. He will be missed, said Dawn Robertson, a family friend. On October 6, 2002, Shawn Hornbeck left home on his bicycle in the rural area of Richwoods, Missouri. On December 4, 1972, Stayner, age 7, was abducted in Merced, California by child molester Kenneth Parnell. 18:50 GMT 12 Jan 2021. 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Shawn had taken this path many times before but this time, Shawn passed by Mike Devlin who bumped him with his truck. That October, Devlin pleaded guilty to all the charges and received 74 life sentences and an additional term of 2,020 years. Today, Devlin continues serving three life sentences at Crossroads. Devlin pleaded guilty to all the counts against him and was sentenced to 72 years behind bars. The guy tried to entice me to his vehicle. 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. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform. As he peddled through the small-town streets he was bumped by a white truck. He glanced up once and then he didnt look at all, she said. Tortured and threatened with death, Hornbeck had allowed Devlin to present him as his son. 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. That evening, then-Fraklin County. Shawn planned to ride his bike to a . Devlin pleaded guilty to all the charges and received 74 life sentences and an additional term of 2,020 years. Speaking last week, ahead of the 10th anniversary of the boys discovery, she told the Post-Dispatch, I want the story to be theirs to tell. When his 11-year-old son was kidnapped in October 2002, Craig became very dedicated in finding his boy. His story made national headlines in 2007 as the "Missouri Miracle." In a 2013. Throughout her captivity, Alicia was chained by the neck, sexually assaulted, and her torture was live-streamed. 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 material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Market data provided by Factset. Shawn had taken this path many times before but this time, Shawn passed by Mike Devlin who bumped him with his truck. Devlin told FBI agents the reason he began looking for another boy was that Shawn was getting too old. Shawn was 11 when he was kidnapped by Michael Devlin in 2002 near his home in Washington County, Mo. Willett spoke at length with Devlin while they sat in the backseat of an FBI vehicle. He was torn away from rural Richwoods, Mo., and taken to Kirkwood, more than 60 miles away. Devlin will spend the rest of his life in prison, but not until one last court appearance today. If you use a windshield cover, you can at least forget about scrapping the ice off your windshield to save some time and hassle. He was transferred to Western Missouri Correctional Center in Cameron, Missouri. Shawn, then 15, told his 41-year-old captor that . Today, Shawn Hornbeck and Ben Ownby have found some sense of normalcy, living peacefully with their families in St. Louis. He spoke to reporters in 2013 following the dramatic discovery. 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. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. 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. With the world transfixed on his story, Shawn spoke to Oprah Winfrey about his experience in 2007. 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. 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. 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. Kirkwood and Glendale police spoke with Shawn Devlin on more than one occasion in the years prior to Michael Devlins arrest. Hornbeck and Ownby were discovered after police noticed Devlins white pickup truck in the apartment complex parking lot. Craig was a dedicated family man. Listen Now On Jan. 12, 2007, Ben Ownby, 13, and Shawn Hornbeck, 15, were saved from Michael Devlin's apartment in St. Louis County. 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. 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'. 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! Thats when he said he came across a story on Shawn Hornbeck and he says he saw a photo of Michael Devlin. Required fields are marked *. 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. 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His widow, Pam, and son Shawn apparently share a special bond that is helping them during this time of loss. Is dumpster diving legal in Missouri and Illinois? 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. At 14, Elizabeth was kidnapped on her way home from school. But that wasnt his only crime. 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. Today, shes 33 and admits to still visiting the house where she was kept prisoner. In April 2011, a fellow inmate attacked and stabbed Devlin with a homemade ice pick. Shawn Hornbeck was an 11 year old boy who was kidnapped while riding his bike to a friends house near Richwoods, Missouri. Your email address will not be published. Ownby, 23, lives and attends school in the St. Louis area, according to the Post-Dispatch. Retelling of the case of Shawn Hornbeck, who as an 11 year old, was kidnapped, and miraculously survived several years of abuse. The disappearance and reunion with Shawn made international headlines. The following day, the FBI followed a tip on a white pick-up truck that brought them to a pizzeria in Kirkwood. All rights reserved. Shawn Hornbeck hugs his family after being rescued from the home of Michael Devlin. In 2013, she said that she has moved on.. She linked the two abductions before the authorities did and even used online maps to guess as to where they were being held. 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. Devlin was handed multiple life sentences for a total of more than 4,000 years. Driving his pickup, he knocked Hornbeck off his bike and kidnapped him. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. "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. One of the store managers, a man named Michael Devlin, owned the truck. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 2023 FAQS Clear - All Rights Reserved 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. Shawn Hornbeck (center) talks with the media about missing women found in Cleveland during interviews in downtown St. Louis on Wednesday, May 8, 2013. The truck matched a description given by 15-year-old Mitchell Hults of a vehicle he spotted in the vicinity of Ownbys abduction. 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. Devlin confessed to both kidnappings. Authorities are investigating pictures of Shawn Hornbeck that were apparently taken during the four years the Missouri teen was missing. Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Community Guidelines | KMIZ-TV FCC Public File | FCC Applications |, Breaking News Its their story to tell.. 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. Palmer was confident that he now had the identity of the man who tried to abduct him 22 years ago, so he contacted police in Robinson but they suggested he reach out to the FBI since Devlin would have crossed a state line to commit the crime. Ownby had been missing for four days when police entered a small apartment in Kirkwood, Missouri, to find both boys. He wont be eligible for parole until hes 100. 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. After Shawns disappearance, Pam and Craig Akers dedicated every second of their lives to finding their son. Devlin was sentenced to 74 life sentences and 170 years of federal time after the 2007 kidnapping of Ben Ownby and 2002 kidnapping of Shawn Hornbeck. If you or anyone you know has been sexually abused, call theNational Sexual Assault Hotlineat 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). 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. 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. After hearing the news of Ownbys abduction, true crime investigator and late wife of comedian Patton Oswalt, Michelle McNamara began investigating the boys abduction. All Rights Reserved. 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. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. Both boys were discovered inside Devlin's apartment shortly thereafter. In the interview, he revealed what he really thought about suspicions that he and his parents were involved with his sisters death. Akers served in the United States Air Force and was a member of Patriot Guard. You look at a lot of things," Nothum said. From Elizabeth Smart to Jaycee Dugard, these kids from famous crime cases are both horrifying and inspiring. McNamara also correctly theorized that Devlin was drawn to the boys because they looked much younger than their actual ages. He also pleaded guilty to all the charges against him. On Monday night, friends and family arrive at the Mahn Funeral Home in DeSoto for the visitation of Craig Akers. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. We would talk about a lot of nonsignificant things, and then, once I would steer the conversation back, our focus was on Ben, Willett said. . He was 57. Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Meanwhile, for his tip and information, Mitchell Hults received a reward that included a new pickup truck. . Sgt. 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He said a police report was filed at the time, but years passed and it became a distant memory. But despite his ordeal, Hornbeck remains optimistic about his future. Willett retired from the FBI in 2010. In 2011, she described her kidnapper as a cool mom.. Since her 2003 rescue, Smart credits her Mormon faith and her supportive, loving family as helping her deal with the aftermath of trauma. Hornbecks life suffered a severe schism when he was allegedly kidnapped at the age of 11. I just feel like its always going to be part of my life, he said at the time, of his own abduction and captivity. 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. California. 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. 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. Just one day before the miraculous discovery, McNamara theorized Ownby was targeted because of his youthful appearance. 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. She admitted to still getting scared when walking the streets at night. The falsehoods hurt the family, but may have fueled the search to find their son alive. Shawn is grown up. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Shawn Hornbeck In 2002, Shawn was abducted while riding his bike with a friend and was found five years later. Alicias Law directs $5 million of leftover state lottery funds to locate and prosecute people participating in the sexual exploitation of children.