Guide Note:
Ben Ownby was kidnapped in January of 2007 by Michael Devlin, a pizzeria manager living in Kirkwood, Missouri. Ownby was discovered, alive, only four days later.
Fast Facts:
- Born: ca. 1992
- Hometown: Beaufort, Missouri
- Parents: Don and Doris Ownby
- Date abducted: January 8, 2007
- Date found: January 12, 2007
- Abductor: Michael Devlin
- Abductor's sentence: 74 life sentences plus 170 years
Kidnapping and Discovery
On January 8, 2007, on his way back from school, Ownby was abducted at gunpoint by Devlin. Devlin brought Ownby back to his suburban St. Louis home and introduced him to Shawn Hornbeck, a boy he had kidnapped more than four years earlier. For four days, Ownby lived at Devlin's home until police discovered him on January 12. At the same time, police liberated Hornbeck, who had been threatened with death if he did not pose as Devlin's son.
Liberation and Aftermath
Ownby, who had only been held for four days, received much less media attention than Hornbeck. However, Ownby appeared with his parents on NBC's Today Show in January of 2008. Don and Doris Ownby have said they have not met with or contacted Shawn Hornbeck or his parents.
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