Experts: Mo. boy was controlled by his captor

Rob Bushelle, who lives in Devlin’s complex, said he made that mistake last fall. Devlin arrived in his white pickup with an adolescent boy in his passenger seat, whom Bushelle now recognizes as Hornbeck. Devlin became furious and began shouting at Bushelle, demanding he move. Bushelle refused, and Devlin called police.

While Devlin spoke with officers, Hornbeck got out of Devlin’s truck and walked into the building, Bushelle said.

Devlin's childhood
Devlin was raised in the St. Louis suburb of Webster Groves. His family released a statement Saturday praising law enforcement agencies for returning Ownby and Hornbeck to their families. Devlin’s relatives said they prayed for Ownby’s safe return when they learned last week he was kidnapped, and said “the past few days have been incredibly difficult.

“Just as we are relieved that both Ben and Shawn are now safe, we hope that Michael will be safe as the facts of his case are revealed.”

Devlin’s childhood neighbors told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that Devlin was adopted and one of six children.

Sarah Sullivan described him as a quiet child in an otherwise outgoing family. He was always big for his age and avoided sports. He had a hot temper and spent a lot of time in his room, she said.

Devlin got a job at Imo’s Pizza when he was in high school. He never left the pizza parlor over the years. He has no apparent criminal past, except for a pair of traffic fines, officials said.

“He’s smarter than most people, so he liked to be a smart aleck,” co-worker Gus Nanos told the newspaper.

“In his calmer moments, he would be an incredibly nice and thoughtful person,” Nanos said.

Co-workers noticed that Devlin became more withdrawn in 2002, the year Hornbeck was abducted. That was also the year Devlin, a diabetic, had a toe amputated.

“He went from being such a teaser to a much quieter person. I felt like he had been humbled by all of his health problems,” Nanos said.

Devlin was being held Sunday in the Franklin County jail in lieu of $1 million bail and is charged with first-degree kidnapping.

It was unclear Sunday whether Devlin had a lawyer. Jail officials would not comment, and the county public defender’s office was closed.

Truck spotted
Police say Devlin drove his pickup to Beaufort, Mo., Monday and kidnapped Ownby. A witness spotted his truck and its description was broadcast in an Amber Alert.

Kirkwood police officers Gary Wagster and Chris Nelson spotted the truck Thursday night outside Devlin’s apartment.

“Are you seeing what I’m seeing?” Wagster asked Nelson, according to the Post-Dispatch.

A neighbor said the truck belonged to Devlin, and the officers saw him leave his apartment to empty his trash into a trash bin. They questioned Devlin in the parking lot, and he was friendly and cooperative.

Devlin’s demeanor quickly changed when the officers started asking him specific questions, Wagster said. He became agitated and defensive.

“It was a total 180 degrees from where he was,” Wagster said.

The Kirkwood officers remained outside the apartment all night, and watched as Devlin left the apartment in the morning.

FBI agents and Franklin County sheriff’s deputies arrested Devlin at his job the next day, Wagster said.

A law enforcement official familiar with the investigation said that FBI agents went to Imo’s Pizza, where Devlin was a manager, and that the suspect revealed details giving agents probable cause to arrest him and search his apartment. They then found the boys, said the source, who refused to be identified because he was unauthorized to speak publicly about the case.

The families of both boys have refused to comment beyond a pair of news conferences they held Saturday, during which the boys were told not to talk to reporters. Lawyers for the families did not answer phone calls to their offices Sunday.

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