Holiday Statement from Shawn Hornbeck - Christmas 2007
"When I thought about Christmas with my family while I was gone I never dreamed that I would be as close to my family- my parents and my sisters- as I have become since I got home. And now I have an even bigger family, those that I never knew before and some that were born while I was away. Being home with them all is what makes this Christmas mean so much to me.
It’s been a long time since I had a real 'kid’s Christmas' and when I was little, it was all about toys and fun. I’m really looking forward to celebrating like a kid this year but I know that the things that happened in my life the last several years makes me appreciate my family and the season in ways that I could have never understood before. There are moms and dads who helped my parents get through Christmases when we were apart by giving them hope and to them I say “Thank you.” And to everyone, thank you for never giving up on me.
It’s so good to be home for the holidays."
Shawn Damien Hornbeck - December 2007
April 2008Pamela Akers Interview in EVE Magazine Page One
MICHAEL DEVLIN HAS AGREED TO PLEAD GUILTY TO ALL CHARGES AGAINST HIM!!!!! He will appear in Franklin County Court on Monday morning, to plead guilty to all charges stemming from his kidnapping of Ben Ownby, then be moved to St Louis County to plead guilty to all charges there stemming from his abuse of both Shawn and Ben. On Tuesday, Devlin will be transported to Potosi MO (Washington County Seat), to plead guilty to kidnapping, attempted murder, attempted sodomy and forcible sodomy against Shawn.
Finally, it looks like a large dark cloud just blew away.
Plead to the following charges: Child Kidnapping: Life In Prison (served in 30 years) Armed Criminal Action: 20 years
Sentences are served concurrently, so he serves at least 30 years. Should he get out in 30 years, he would then go to federal prison to serve his sentence there. That sentence has not been handed down yet. The sentences above also do not include other counties yet.
Consecutive sentence to Franklin: Life in prison, at 30 years served after Franklin Counties 30 years.
St Louis County
69 Counts FS against WBO and SH
2 counts kidnapping
To be served Consecutive of other county terms.
Sentence: 18 Consecutive life sentences, 52 concurrent plus 15 years
Serving: 540 years after the other two counties.
Sunmarizing Next Weeks Court Appearances
At 10 a.m. Monday before Circuit Judge Stanley D. Williams in the Franklin County Courthouse in Union, where he faces charges of kidnapping and armed criminal action in the abduction of Ben.
At 9 a.m. Tuesday, Devlin is scheduled to appear in the Washington County Courthouse in Potosi to plead guilty, said Prosecutor John Rupp. He declined to be more specific, but Devlin faces seven counts, including kidnapping, attempted murder and sexual assault of Shawn. Richwoods is in northern Washington County.
At 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Devlin is scheduled to appear before St. Louis County Circuit Court Judge Mark Seigel to answer 71 charges, including kidnapping and sexual assault. From there - later that afternoon or on Wednesday - he is to be taken to the federal courthouse downtown to plead guilty to six federal counts, including producing child pornography and taking a child across state lines for sex.
"Upon conclusion of the proceeding in U.S. District Court, Devlin will be returned to the custody of the state of Missouri for transportation to the appropriate facility," St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Robert P. McCulloch said.
Sources among the prosecutors said Devlin is to receive multiple life sentences through the plea arrangements, which the judges must approve.
Statement from Shawn Hornbeck Foundation
05:47 PM CDT on Friday, October 5, 2007
Sherri Martin
Shawn Hornbeck Foundation
On behalf of Shawn, his parents Craig and Pam Akers, and their family, we are cautiously elated at the news that the defendant intends to plead guilty to the crimes he committed against Shawn and Ben.
When this occurs, we will officially end this nightmarish chapter in our lives and begin a new, fresh chapter that we have waited to begin for five long years.
We would like to thank everyone for their hard work, their prayers, and their well-wishes. Our gratitude is immeasurable.
NEW - FOX - Hornbeck Family Upset Devlin May Spend Time Out of State
NEW - FBI Documents from the day that Devlin was Arrested
This statement was taken from DEVLIN at 12.10 p.m 12th Jan 07
He was interviewed by FBI at IMO's pizza
10th October 2007
NEW - FBI Documents from the day that Devlin was Arrested
This statement was taken from DEVLIN at 3.31 p.m 12th Jan 07
He was taken into custody just outside of his apartment
10th October 2007
Franklin County 6-21-2007 Hearing :
Devlin jurors will be brought from elsewhere
By Stephen Deere
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
06/21/2007
A Franklin County judge today said that jurors would be chosen from another county, then brought to Union to hear the case against Michael Devlin in the kidnapping of Ben Ownby.
Judge Stanley Williams did not specify where the jurors would be found. A lawyer for Devlin, Michael Kielty, suggested that they come from one of the metropolitan areas in Missouri, either St. Louis, St. Louis County or Jackson County, which includes Kansas City.
No trial date was set. Williams gave the defense until Aug. 31 to file motions, then set another hearing for Oct. 18.
Devlin was not in the courtroom for today's hearing. Kielty said he would go to the Franklin County Detention Center to inform his client of the judge's ruling.
Devlin was arrested in his Kirkwood apartment on Jan. 12, a few days after Ownby disappeared from a school bus stop near his home in Beaufort. Along with recovering Ownby, authorities also found Shawn Hornbeck, who had disappeared from his home near Richwoods in 2002.
Since his arrest, Devlin has been named in a variety of charges in Franklin, Washington and St. Louis counties as well as charges brought by federal prosecutors.
LATEST NEWS -
Next Court dates :
July 16th - Washington County Charges hearing Updated Case Timeline : Up to July 2007
Click Here To See Timeline
5/21/2007 NEWS -
From Case.Net - 05/21/2007 Docket Entry: Waiver of Formal Arraignment
Text: State of Missouri present by PA John Rupp. Defendant present and with counsel Ethan Corlija and Michael Kielty via video conference. Defendant formally arraigned. Plea of not guilty entered by defendant. Cause passed to July 16, 2007 Law Day at 9:00 a.m. for filing of any and all needed pre-trial motions. The Court enters Order for Fingerprinting. So Ordered!
LATEST NEWS -
BEAUFORT, Mo. - Don Ownby stood in his front yard and waved as Mitchell Hults drove by in his beat up pickup truck. Don didn't have a lot of time to chat; he would leave soon to take his 13-year-old son, Ben Ownby , to baseball practice.
Shawn, who was missing four years, has returned to an entirely new life. The home from which he disappeared in 2002 has been replaced with a new house, courtesy of a St. Louis homebuilder.Shawn's new basement is now the main office for the foundation his parents started to find him. Even though he's home, the Shawn Hornbeck Foundation is expanding under a broadened mission. Full Story FOX News
LATEST NEWS -
The MO Supreme Court has assigned the special judge requested by the prosecution.
05/16/2007 Docket Entry: Transfer Filed
Text: BY SUPREME COURT. HONORABLE STANLEY D. WILLIAMS ASSIGNED.
LATEST NEWS CLIPS AND ARTICLES IN FULL (latest at top)
NEW - Pam and Craig Akers on Good Morning America 25th May 2007
NEW - Local hero gets national award for tip that helped solve Ownby/Hornbeck kidnapping 25th May 2007
The Franklin County teenager whose information helped rescue Ben Ownby and Shawn Hornbeck is getting a national award.
Mitchell Hults spoke with News 4 at the ceremony on Friday in Washington, DC.
NEW - Devlin Pleads Not Guilty in Shawn Hornbeck Case Monday, 21st May 2007
Devlin's arraignment Monday at the Washington County Courthouse
in Potosi marked the first time he has left the Franklin County
jail since he was arrested Jan. 12. He was driven to Potosi but did
not appear in person in the courtroom...
NEW - Michael Devlin Back in Court MONDAY Sunday, 21st May 2007 On Monday, Michael Devlin, the Kirkwood man accused of kidnapping and abusing two young boys, will be arraigned on the latest batch of criminal counts against him.
While it isn't his first arraignment, it is the first time Devlin will leave his Franklin County jail cell since his January arrest.
NEW - Michael Devlin Back in Court Next Week Thursday, 17 May 2007, 10:53 PM CDT Suspect Michael Devlin due to be arraigned on a whole host of new charges next week. This time it will happen in a Washington County court as officials there build their case against Devlin. And with a high profile suspect coming to town there are some high profile concerns. We get details from FOX 2's Chris Regnier.
The Press Club of Metropolitan St. Louis on Thursday March 15 hosted a provocative and insightful forum on media coverage of the Missouri Miracle -- the kidnapping and recovering of Shawn Hornbeck and Ben Ownby.
Further information on the Shawn Hornbeck / Ben Ownby Case is held in the Operation Find A Child Message Board
and privately within the Operation Find A Child Database.
