Posted on 01/15/2007 8:27:11 AM PST by Halls
Kidnap victim Shawn Hornbeck was "brainwashed" into staying with his abductor after being told his parents no longer wanted him.
His kidnapper also threatened to shoot the 15-year-old after snatching him off the street.
Friends of the teenager have revealed Michael Devlin, 41, had at least three guns in the apartment where Shawn was held captive.
Tony Douglas, 15, who was Shawn's best friend, said: "We both knew there were guns in the house. Michael told us that he had the guns and were for his protection."
Shawn's stepfather Craig Akers, 45, has revealed his son's life was threatened by Devlin while he lived with him in a ground floor flat in Kirkwood, a suburb of St Louis, Missouri.
(Excerpt) Read more at thisislondon.co.uk ...
I'm no expert but I think its very likely that once the second kid was "broken in" that Shawn would have been killed by Devlin.
I think that thats the reason why Devlin kidnapped again. Shawn was getting too old for him.
I didn't know they publicly announced this information yet (i.e. molestation, etc.). If teenagers run away and rebel against parents who do these things, then why wouldn't they rebel against a non-parent? I think it's more complicated than even this.
I tend to agree with you. So, we need to constantly pray for this boy that this doesn't happen.
I dated a guy in my early 20s who's brother was gay. Come to find out he was molested constantly by the neighbor across the street when they were kids. THey lived with their mother who was dying of cancer and she was always so sick she never could take care of her kids or know what was going on with them. When she died the children were sent to live with their dads, but they were never the same. My boyfriend fortunately was never molested.
Most boys who are constantly molested like this grow up to have sexual problems. We can only pray for Shawn and hope that he recovers from this nightmare.
In my opinion, far too little attention is being paid to the low-life perp.
I'd be very surprised if he's never been charged with some kind of molestation charge and that the LSM doesn't really want to report that.
did you teach your toddler also how to take down a 6' 4" 300 pound man also?
I believe you have said the most important thing yet. Nobody can ever know unless they have lived it and none of us know yet (I'm sure they aren't even through with getting all the facts from Shawn) what exactly this poor young boy has undergone.
Frankly, they can go to hell.
"If I were the parents and could afford it I'd try to put him in a private school with stricter discipline to avoid just that."
Yes, and fortunately St. Louis has, per capita, one of the greatest number of quality private schools of any city in the nation.
In the Catholic ones at least, yes, discipline is still strict, at least by today's sad standards.
Suicide bombers come to mind.
most definately Shawn was getting to old for him, he wanted a boy and Shawn was now a man. Who know what his plan was for Shawn, but I imagine at some point he was going to do something to get rid of him.
I happen to disagree with this statement. I really do believe that the individual's own personality and nature is far more indicative of what they would do; there passive or timid adults that might be far more inclined to be brainwashed than some strong-willed kid. I believe our own wills often are what can make or break us; people are pretty amazing. The bottom line is not whether some are easier to control; but that this boy was abused and tormented.
Let's all pray for his healing and for the highest penalty on Devlin. This guy should be given the death sentence (in my opinion).
Confused??
i agree and unfortunately he won't get it! They don't do death penalty's unless the perp commits murder. So not right!
I can picture devlin making Shawn watch "I know My Name is Steven", and pointing out the abuse and ridicule to which young Staynor was subjected upon his return to his family. The movie BTW was made in 1989-a few years before the kidnapping-and it's been shown on Lifetime and other movie channels since, so devlin wouldn't even have had to rent it. (BTW, I am also in MO, so I know it was shown on premium and cable channels here.)
Some grownups are just wishing to be manipulated into believing the unbelievable.
WACO, Jonestown, Klintonoids.......
Don't be so sure you could withstand pressure to conform.
Did you read my post about what the neighbors heard coming from that apartment? Don't you think that eventually, beating the living daylights out of the boy would break him of any rebellious streak he might have had?
IMHO, from your comments, you are speculating without ANY facts at all. That's your right but again, IMO, you're an idiot.
In some ways, the guy murdered this boy's soul. Plus, he robbed him of four years of his life; how does that get fixed?
The only thing that ever gives me hope in these situation is the verse from scripture where God tells his people that he can restore the years the locusts have eaten. This verse promises hope to those who have had loss.
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