Missing Boy Lived Openly with Suspect

WASHINGTON COUNTY, Mo., Jan. 14, 2007 — -- In this stretch of rural Missouri, they are celebrating answered prayers for two boys -- one missing four days, and the other, more than four years.

But amid the rejoicing over the return of Ben Ownby, 13, and Shawn Hornbeck, 15, there are lingering questions about how two boys and their alleged kidnapper could have hidden in plain sight.

By all accounts, 41-year-old Michael Devlin was an ordinary guy -- an apparent single dad working two jobs.

The teenager he identified as his son, Shawn, told friends his mom had died in a car crash. He was frequently seen riding his bike and skateboarding.

"He was a pretty nice kid, and we just clicked on so much stuff like video games," said David Douglas, who knew Hornbeck as Devlin's son.

"He had so much freedom, you would've never looked at him and thought this is a kidnapped child," added another friend, Kelly Douglas. "You know, looking back now, it's wild."

In Washington County, where Shawn disappeared, two investigators have dedicated the past four years of their lives to chasing thousands of leads that went nowhere -- until now.

Those investigators shed a new light on Shawn's apparent freedom.

"Being allowed freedom, we know that was recently," Washington County Sheriff Kevin Schroeder said.

"This kid's been traumatized," added Washington County Investigator Donald Cooksey, "so whatever he did, I'm sure it was under duress."

Neighbors today offered support for that claim.

Rick Charles Richards, a neighbor, said he heard, "a lot of vulgarity, a lot of cursing. I even heard him hit the child. I heard him hit Shawn."

Hornbeck's stepfather, Craig Akers, told "Good Morning America Weekend Edition" on Saturday that he believed his stepson's life was threatened.

"He's been held against his will, and since that time he was threatened with his life," Akers said. "He thought that … it would be the end of his life if he tried to tell anyone or do anything."

In light of these conditions, say investigators, it is not surprising Shawn didn't go for help.

The teen told police he was aware of the ongoing search and had even seen his own missing poster on a bench at the local shopping center.