Shawn Hornbeck & Ben Ownby

This is the story of two teenage boys: Shawn Hornbeck and Ben Ownby from St. Louis, Missouri were kidnapped by the same man. Hornbeck was eleven years old riding his bike until he was bumped into and kidnapped by a man who followed him. He held him captive for four years until he kidnapped thirteen-year-old Ben Ownby from a bus stop. Four days later, those teenage boys free from the captor making their story a miracle. A miracle that two boys were found alive after they were reported missing.

This is the story of Shawn Hornbeck and Ben Ownby

Shawn Hornbeck was born on July 17, 1991, to his parents Pam and Craig Akers. Craig Akers was actually his stepfather even though it is unclear who is Shawn's biological father.

Ben Ownby was born in 1994 to his parents William Don and Doris Ownby.

Their Abductions

On October 6, 2002, (when I was seven years old), eleven-year-old Hornbeck was heading to a friend’s house near Richwoods, Missouri, a small town just outside of St. Louis. Shawn always took the same route and his parents trusted him to ride alone. Hornbeck was riding his bike on his way to return home that was until a white pickup truck bumped into him and Hornbeck fell off his bike. The driver behind the trunk was identified as Michael Devlin ejected out of his trunk. Devlin initially seemed concerned for Shawn’s safety, but moments later, put him into the back of his truck and told him “You were just at the wrong place at the wrong time.” Devlin drives away with Hornbeck and never returns him home not even sending him to the hospital. The Akers grew concerned wondering where is Shawn and contacted the authorities. Craig quit his job as VP of a technology firm and, with Shawn’s mother, Pam, set up a foundation, enlists 1,600 volunteers to find Hornbeck. Shortly after Hornbeck's disappearance, his parents appeared on The Montel Williams Show, where self-described so-called psychic Sylvia Browne erroneously told the Akers that Hornbeck was dead and his "alleged" kidnapper/murderer was a Hispanic man with dreads. Despite Browne's "alleged" predictions, Hornbeck's family continued on the search finding Shawn.

After Devlin captures Hornbeck, Devlin takes him to his apartment, ties him up, and starts to abuse him physically and sexually. Neighbors of Devlin living in the apartment complex area had no idea that Hornbeck was the missing boy and assumed that he was his son. According to Shawn told reporters that Devlin had guns and would threaten to murder him if he ever thought about leaving or calling for help. He even changed his name to "Shawn Devlin" and portrayed him as his son. Hornbeck was allowed to see friends and even use a cellphone after Devlin believed that the boy wouldn’t try to run or reach the authorities. Shawn would even reach out to his parents on a website they set up to receive tips on his disappearance. Using the name “Shawn Devlin,” he cryptically wrote, “How long are you planning to look for your son?”

Eventually, Shawn became too old for Devlin’s tastes and Devlin decided to find a replacement for Shawn.

On January 2007, four years later, Ownby was waiting for the bus at a bus stop in Beaufort, located in Franklin County. put the 13-year-old in a white Nissan pickup truck and sped away.

A Missouri Miracle

After Ownby was captured by Devlin, one of Ownby’s friends got a good look at the vehicle and provided a detailed description to authorities. The FBI followed a tip on a white pick-up truck that brought them to a pizzeria in Kirkwood where Devlin worked. Devlin was taken into custody while he was at work. He later confessed to kidnapping Ben and Shawn and led them in his apartment. After his confession, the police located Devlin's apartment where Ownby and Hornbeck were playing video games and eating pizza.

The boys were rescued and returned to their families. That night, Franklin County Sheriff Glen Toelke announced that both boys were found and alive outside his office at a press conference.

“We have some good news for you and probably some unbelievable news. We located Ben this afternoon in the City of Kirkwood and we also located Shawn Hornbeck, who was at the same residence.”

Franklin County Sheriff Glen Toelke, January 12, 2007.

The news spread all across the world and their discovery became known as the “Missouri Miracle.”

Devlin pleaded guilty to all the charges and received 74 life sentences and an additional term of 2,020 years. He was transferred to the Western Missouri Correctional Center in Cameron, Missouri. He won’t be eligible for parole until he’s 100.

Years After

Years since the "Missouri Miracle", the two boys had since grown up and moved on with their lives. Hornbeck and his family started the Shawn Hornbeck Foundation, a charitable foundation in 2013.

Hornbeck has lived his life privately and has gotten married with kids. As for Ownby, Ownby has grown up. It is not known what he has done or what school he has graduated from but he had lived his life privately.

Ownby has created a Twitter page but he hasn't posted anything since. Both boys are men living in St. Louis, Missouri, and staying away from the public eye.

Source

https://allthatsinteresting.com/shawn-hornbeck

https://www.stltoday.com/news/archives/one-search-two-boys-found-a-look-back-at-the-missouri-miracle/article_37766043-015c-560f-bc7c-6edab12c3730.html

https://fox2now.com/news/15-years-since-the-missouri-miracle-how-two-kidnapped-boys-were-found/

https://www.crimemuseum.org/crime-library/kidnappings/shawn-hornbeck/

https://www.edglentoday.com/articles/details/today-marks-14-years-since-shawn-hornbeck-and-ben-ownby-was-found-46988.cfm

https://people.com/celebrity/cover-story-the-kidnapped-missouri-boys/