posted January 12, 2007 08:12 PM              

Missing Missouri Boy Found Five Years Later
By CHRISTOPHER LEONARD, AP

BEAUFORT, Mo. (Jan. 12) - A 13-year-old boy missing since the beginning of the week was found alive in a suburban St. Louis home, along with a 15-year-old boy missing since 2002, authorities said Friday.


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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.

William Ownby, who goes by Ben, disappeared after he stepped off his school bus on Monday. The straight-A student and Boy Scout was last seen running the few hundred feet down a gravel road to his home.

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.

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. Authorities then searched Devlin's house and found both boys.

Toelke said authorities were surprised to find Shawn Hornbeck, who identified himself when found at the home.

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

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

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

The sheriff said both boys appeared unharmed. Ownby has been reunited with his family, and the Hornbeck's parents were coming to meet their son in Union, the Franklin County seat, Toelke said.

Franklin County Prosecutor Robert Parks said more charges are likely to be filed.

01/12/07 18:08 EST

posted January 14, 2007 06:23 AM              

What a life altering experience!

My brother was kidnapped at the fine age of 8 years old and was not found for an entire year! A few states away and supposedley unharmed. I remember years of drama afterwards though due to all the brainwashing he had been subjected to.