Kirkwood, Mo.
Two boys, one missing for four days and another for four years, were reunited with their parents last week after police discovered them in the home of a 41-year-old man. Police charged Michael Devlin, the manager of a local pizzeria, with the kidnapping of William Ben Ownby, 13, and Shawn Hornbeck, 15. Additional charges are expected. Police have not disclosed whether Devlin sexually abused his captives. Ownby disappeared last week from a St. Louis suburb. Hornbeck disappeared in 2002, when he was 11, near his home in Richwoods, Mo. Despite having access to a mobile phone and a computer, Hornbeck did not try to escape or alert people to his captivity, giving rise to speculation that he was under Devlin’s psychological control. Kirkwood police discovered the boys after noticing that Devlin’s white van matched the description of a van seen driving away from the block where Ownby was last seen. Neighbors said Devlin presented Hornbeck as his son, and they believed him.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
5 refreshing podcasts you may have missed this springThe Week Recommends Exploring the cultural impact of Jerry Springer, a look at contemporary spending habits and more
-
Mortgages: The future of Fannie and FreddieFeature Donald Trump wants to privatize two major mortgage companies, which could make mortgages more expensive
-
Economists fear US inflation data less reliablespeed read The Labor Department is collecting less data for its consumer price index due to staffing shortages
