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Missing Boys William 'Ben' Ownby, Shawn Hornbeck Found Alive in Missouri
FOX News ^ | January 13, 2007

Posted on 01/13/2007 5:50:24 AM PST by Kaslin

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.

The boys were found in a Kirkwood home belonging to 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 Friday night.

"His eyes lit up like silver dollars," said Loyd Bailie, who was escorted to the Franklin County 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.

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Front Page News; News/Current Events; US: Missouri
KEYWORDS: kidnapping
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1 posted on 01/13/2007 5:50:27 AM PST by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

Press conference coming up at 9AM EST.


2 posted on 01/13/2007 5:52:31 AM PST by spacejunkie
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To: Kaslin

The other boy Shawn faces a very painful rehab process and may never be able to recover. God Bless and keep him and his parents.


3 posted on 01/13/2007 5:52:50 AM PST by silverleaf (Fasten your seat belts- it's going to be a BUMPY ride.)
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To: Kaslin

So why were these kids kidnapped. Is the kidnapper queer? Are there other charges coming. ? How did he manage to keep the one boy for so long? Was h chainedor something?

I dont understand this story too well I guess.


4 posted on 01/13/2007 5:57:06 AM PST by sgtbono2002 (Peace through strength.)
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To: sgtbono2002

Something about this story doesn't wash with me. Four years? Reminds me of the Elizabeth Smart kidnapping--which has NEVER made sense to me.


5 posted on 01/13/2007 5:58:52 AM PST by Galtoid ( .)
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To: Galtoid

I can't think of the name of the boy...but this happened in California a number of years ago. The older buy never did really return to his family. He never could fit in with their way of life. He eventually married and had a child...but sadly died in a motorcycle crash while he was still young.

No connection: His brother became a murderer of three women in Yosemite.


6 posted on 01/13/2007 6:02:37 AM PST by bannie
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To: bannie; Galtoid

Steven Stayner. I was living in Santa Rosa (near the smaller town where it happened) at the time, and I was also living there when he walked out of the woods with the little Vietnamese boy who had just been kidnapped and brought out to the kidnapper's remote place.

What people don't understand is that a child is powerless, and these guys work on them right away to make them continue to be powerless and see everything as being controlled by their kidnapper. Thus, if he does anything to them that is not brutal, they see it as a great kindness and become very devoted to him.

In the case of Stayner - and I think Elizabeth Smart, as well - the kidnappers also told the children that their parents no longer wanted them, that their parents knew about it and didn't care, or that their parents had decided they couldn't support them anymore and had "given" the kids to the kidnappers. It's hard to imagine how a child could believe this, but apparently it's not uncommon at all in long-term kidnapping cases.


7 posted on 01/13/2007 6:07:36 AM PST by livius
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To: Kaslin

Oh boy! Another thread that's going to get over 1,000 replies!


8 posted on 01/13/2007 6:08:18 AM PST by Extremely Extreme Extremist (Why can't Republicans stand up to Democrats like they do to terrorists?)
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To: sgtbono2002

I don't know, I guess we just have to wait until more comes out. FOX News is awaiting for a news conference from the step father of the second boy


9 posted on 01/13/2007 6:09:12 AM PST by Kaslin (In war, there are two exit strategies. One is called victory. The other is called defeat.)
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To: silverleaf

Yes he does because he called the kidnapper dad


10 posted on 01/13/2007 6:10:18 AM PST by Kaslin (In war, there are two exit strategies. One is called victory. The other is called defeat.)
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To: Kaslin

Shawn's father is on the phone on the local Fox affliate KTVI.


11 posted on 01/13/2007 6:11:23 AM PST by A Citizen Reporter
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To: livius

You're right...in all of what you said.

:-(
Wish you weren't.


12 posted on 01/13/2007 6:12:29 AM PST by bannie
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To: livius

Exactly. These kidnappers hold the child powerless and incomunicado make him totally dependent on the kidnapper for survival and emotional support. They tell the child their parent doesn't want him and work on their sense of shame by telling them their family won't love him because of the things the kidnapper makes the child do.

This is among most evil of all evils. It is at least good this evil pedophile is off the streets but at such a terrible cost (want to bet he has a record?).


13 posted on 01/13/2007 6:12:40 AM PST by silverleaf (Fasten your seat belts- it's going to be a BUMPY ride.)
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To: Kaslin
FNC said they would take the press conference, but they are not doing it.

The family is doing it by phone, but apparently there is a crowd there, because I just heard applause.

14 posted on 01/13/2007 6:12:57 AM PST by A Citizen Reporter
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To: A Citizen Reporter

CNN has cameras there, apparently Fox doesn't have cameras?


15 posted on 01/13/2007 6:17:23 AM PST by A Citizen Reporter
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To: sgtbono2002
I've seen reported the older boy is brainwashed, he called the perp "Dad" and neighbors thought they were father and son.

Here is a better article with more information about how they found the boys.

16 posted on 01/13/2007 6:17:34 AM PST by buschbaby
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To: A Citizen Reporter

Right now Fox and Friends is talking with Ed Smart, the father of Elizabeth Smart


17 posted on 01/13/2007 6:19:15 AM PST by Kaslin (In war, there are two exit strategies. One is called victory. The other is called defeat.)
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To: Kaslin

"Toelke said authorities were still investigating the motive behind the abductions"

Who gives a $hit about his "motives"??!! He kidnapped to young boys, throw his a$$ in jail! and keep him there.


18 posted on 01/13/2007 6:21:11 AM PST by SAMS ("I may look harmless, but I raised a U.S. MARINE!" Army Wife & Marine Mom)
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To: A Citizen Reporter

God Bless those two boys. When I heard the story break last night, I thought about how the mom of the older boy must have felt when she got that call out of the blue that her child thats been missing for 5 years had been found. Thank you Lord!


19 posted on 01/13/2007 6:21:21 AM PST by FreeManWhoCan (**An American in Miami**)
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To: Kaslin

Our local (St. Louis) Fox affiliate dumped out of the presser, not good coverage on Fox's part.


20 posted on 01/13/2007 6:22:04 AM PST by A Citizen Reporter
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