Two Kidnapped Boys Found Alive!

[John81]

Man charged with kidnapping Mo. boy By CHRISTOPHER LEONARD, Associated Press Writer
37 minutes ago



BEAUFORT, Mo. - A 13-year-old boy who vanished from the gravel road near his home five days ago was found alive Friday about 60 miles away in a suburban St. Louis home, along with a 15-year-old boy missing since 2002, authorities said.



Sharp-eyed police and suspicions about a white truck led police to the Kirkwood apartment of Michael Devlin, 41, who has been charged with one count of first-degree kidnapping, Sheriff Gary Toelke said.

The sheriff said both boys appeared unharmed. William Ownby who goes by Ben, appeared somewhat dazed as he walked inside the sheriff's department, where he was reunited with his family who had been searching for him since Monday.

"His eyes lit up like silver dollars," said the boy's uncle, Loyd Bailie, who was escorted to the sheriff's department with Ben's parents. Everyone broke into tears and Ben's parents embraced him as tightly as they could, Bailie said.

The straight-A student and Boy Scout was last seen after he stepped off his school bus and ran toward his Beaufort home down a gravel road on Monday.

A friend who left the bus with the boy told authorities that after the two parted, he saw a small white pickup with a camper shell speeding away from where Ben had been walking.

Searchers on foot, horseback and all-terrain vehicles looked for Ben in the hilly area about 60 miles southwest of St. Louis.

Toelke said the break in the case came Thursday night. Kirkwood city police officers were serving a warrant on an apartment complex when they noticed a white truck matching the description of a vehicle authorities had been searching for in the Ownby investigation.

Kirkwood officers contacted the Franklin County Sheriff's Department and determined where the owner of the truck was and then searched Devlin's house.

Toelke said authorities found Ben and were surprised to find another boy who identified himself as Shawn Hornbeck.

Hornbeck disappeared from his Richwoods in October 2002, when he was 11. He went for a bike ride and never returned.

Hornbeck's parents, Pam and Craig Akers, were reunited with their son, Toelke said.

Later, both boys were taken to SSM Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital in St. Louis for evaluation. Hospital spokesman Bob Davidson said both were in good spirits.

"The boys were smiling and appeared very pleased to be with their families," Davidson said. "Obviously the families were incredibly tickled to have the boys back. It's a thrilling night."

Hornbeck's parents have devoted themselves to bringing missing people home since Hornbeck vanished over four years ago from his hometown 65 miles southwest of St. Louis.

His parents, dozens of volunteers and sniffer dogs searched for weeks. The couple set up a Web site and listened to anyone who offered a tip.

Craig Akers, Shawn's stepfather, quit his job as a software designer to devote his time to a foundation bearing his son's name. They depleted their savings, borrowed against their retirement and talked to psychics. The financial strain forced both of them back to work.

A retired police officer volunteered to work on the case until Shawn was found.

Even though so much time had passed, Pam Akers said her son is frozen in her memory as an 11-year-old boy.

"It's been four years," she said on the anniversary of his disappearance last fall. "But for me, it's just been one long continuous day."

Toelke said authorities were still investigating the motive behind the abductions. Franklin County Prosecutor Robert Parks said more charges are likely to be filed.

"There are a lot of things we don't know right now," Toelke said.

Neighbor Rick Butler, 43, said the FBI came to his door Thursday night and showed a picture of Ben, asking if he had seen him. He said he had not. But he had seen a boy he now believes was Hornbeck.

He said he saw no evidence that the boy now believed to be Hornbeck was scared or trying to get away. He had seen Devlin and the teen pitch a tent in the courtyard.

"I didn't see or hear anything odd or unusual from the apartment," Butler said. "I just figured them for father and son."

Devlin worked at a local pizzeria and an overnight shift answering phones at a funeral home, the St. Louis Post Dispatch reported.

"He just acted like a relatively normal guy. Nothing unusual stuck out at me," his former landlord, Marvin Reid, told the newspaper.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070113/ap_ ... issing_boy

[Psalms18_28]

:sing: Praise the Lord that they are found

[John81]

Another article on this story:


Two missing boys, one since 2002, found in Missouri Fri Jan 12, 7:20 PM ET



ST. LOUIS (Reuters) - A boy missing since 2002 was discovered living in a Missouri apartment on Friday along with a 13-year-old whose disappearance this week prompted an intense search, and authorities charged a man with kidnapping.

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A tip about a white pickup truck seen in the vicinity of Monday's suspected kidnapping of Ben Ownby led authorities to the suburban St. Louis apartment of Michael Devlin, 41, where both boys were discovered apparently unharmed.

"Both appear to be in good health," said a relieved Gary Toelke, the Franklin County Sheriff.

Shawn Hornbeck, 15, was last seen on October 6, 2002, riding his bicycle in the St. Louis suburb of Richwoods. Toelke said his discovery was a shock to investigators who stormed Devlin's Kirkwood, Missouri, apartment.

A neighbor of Devlin's told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch she had seen Hornbeck for years playing with friends in the neighborhood, and assumed he was Devlin's son.

Devlin was charged with a single count of kidnapping and ordered held on $1 million bond, with more charges likely, authorities said.

A search was launched when Ownby, a straight-A student and Boy Scout, disappeared after getting off a school bus near his Beaufort, Missouri, home.

[Sophie]

I was at work yesterday and heard about the younger boy being missing. It was on the morning news on MSN that we were watching. Then heard on the evening news that he and this other boy had been found. I had prayed earlier when I heard the first report and was praising the Lord when I heard the last report. Imagine the joy those parents must be feeling. With all the bad news we hear all the time, it sure is nice to hear some good news for a change. We should pray for those boys, for their emotional healing and adjustment back into their families. Especially the older boy. I'd like to think that the man just really wanted a son and was kind to them, but unfortunately, its more likely that he abused them. If that young man has been abused for the last 4 years he's going to be messed up mentally and emotionally and will need help. Let's pray, too, that if these families don't know the Lord, God will draw them to Himself.

[IM4given]

Let's pray, too, that if these families don't know the Lord, God will draw them to Himself.

Amen! Praying for the boys and their families.

[Anon]

Hey I already posted that!

That's ok, its cool.

[John81]

All too often these stories don't have a happy ending. When I saw this I just felt we needed to give God all the praise.

Suzy, thank you for posting this great story too!

According to the latest news release, the boys seem to be well. I'm interested to learn more, but I do pray these families will adjust well together. Most importantly, I pray they may come to Christ.

One of the reports said the family of the boy who had been missing the longest had tried using psychics to find him. It's sad they turned in that direction rather than to the One who could truly provide answers. I pray that somehow these boys will come to Christ and help lead their families to Christ as well.

Latest update:

Parents rejoice after 2 Mo. boys found By CHRISTOPHER LEONARD, Associated Press Writer
8 minutes ago



BEAUFORT, Mo. - For better than four years, Shawn Hornbeck's parents dealt with their grief over the 11-year-old's disappearance by devoting themselves to bringing missing people home.

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On Saturday, they showed off their best argument for hanging onto hope

[BamaAngel]

I heard about that - God be praised!!!! :D