Kidnapping Suspect: 'Low-Key, Regular Guy'

Jan. 14, 2007 — -- Now that Shawn Hornbeck and Ben Ownby have been found alive and well, attention is turning to their alleged kidnapper, 41-year old Michael Devlin.

Bill Romer, the landlord of Devlin's suburban St. Louis apartment, said on "Good Morning America Weekend Edition" Sunday that he never suspected anything was amiss. Romer said that for a man who was allegedly holding a boy against his will, Devlin aroused no suspicions.

"It's strange, because frankly he's one of my best tenants," Romer said. "He was a very pleasant, kind of low-key, regular guy."

Kidnapped at age 11, Hornbeck lived openly with Devlin at his apartment for more than four years. Devlin didn't even make an effort to conceal the apartment or what was going on inside.

"From what I could see, there were no curtains on the bedroom windows … so it wasn't like he was trying to hide anything," Romer said.

Romer recalled Devlin referring to Hornbeck as his son.

"He told me on more than one occasion that it was his son that lived with him," he said. "I had nothing to lead me to believe anything was wrong with the situation."

Devlin worked two jobs in St. Louis, one as a manager at an Imo's Pizza and another at a funeral home where he answered phone calls.

Both employers told ABC News that they had noticed nothing abnormal about Devlin.

Mike Prosperi, the owner of the Imo's Pizza, said he and his other employees were in "absolute shock" when they found out about the allegations against Devlin.

"Everybody who's been involved with Mike just can't believe it," Prosperi said.

Prosperi talked with Devlin's brother, Jamie, and said the suspect's family appears to be in a similar state of shock.

"When I talked to Jamie, there were one-word answers," Prosperi said. "He said, 'He's my brother. It's our family. … We're lost.'"

As details about Devlin's life with Hornbeck are revealed, many are wondering why the boy didn't seem to make an effort to escape.