Two Missing Boys Found Alive In St. Louis
Posted January 12, 2007 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A miraculous story unfolded in St. Louis on Friday after two boys, one missing for four years, were found alive.
Thirteen-year-old William Ownby vanished near his Missouri home five days ago and was discovered safe and sound about 100 kilometres away in a suburban St. Louis home. Even more incredible was the safe return of 15-year-old Shawn Hornbeck, who went missing October 2002, when he was just 11.
He went for a bike ride and never returned.
Both were found in a Kirkwood, Mo., home belonging to Michael Devlin, 41.
He has since been charged with one count of first-degree kidnapping, Sheriff Gary Toelke said.
Both boys appeared unharmed and were reunited with their relieved families.
Toelke said the big break in the case came Thursday night when police officers noticed a white truck matching the description of a vehicle authorities had been searching for in the investigation.
They then determined the owner of the truck and proceeded to search Devlin’s home.
Despite the happy ending, much of the case remains shrouded in mystery.
“There are a lot of things we don’t know right now,” Toelke said.
