stltoday.com — Ben Ownby, the 13-year-old Franklin County boy missing since Monday, has been found alive in suburban St. Louis -- as well as Shawn Hornbeck, a boy from Washington County who has been missing since 2002, sources told the Post-Dispatch today.
Jan 12, 2007 View in Crawl 4
nocturnalJan 13, 2007
In all seriousness, I just tried to imagine what the parents of the other missing boy felt. I can't even comprehend. To have your son missing for a few years and then out of the blue get a phone call, Mr or Mrs. x we have some good news, we found your son alive and well!HOLY CRAP! What great news and I hope that either kid was not traumatized! Who knows what the hell this guy was or why he did it.
skitzzoJan 13, 2007Submitter
Hey fool, this story was posted hours ago. You know, when it WAS breaking news. Learn to read.
novaworksJan 13, 2007
Its incredibly good news for the families involves. The 11 year old snatched a few days back should be able to recover with some serious counselling, but you have to wonder how well the 16 year old will fare after been captive for 5 years. I'm sure he started long ago to identify with his captor & is really well and truly messed up because of it.That slime ball scum bag who took those kids - he should be strung up from the St Louis arch by his balls and then he should be riddled with AK47 rounds or he should be publicly hanged. If it's good enough for Hussain then certainly this scum bag should get the same.
aquatriniJan 13, 2007
This really is great news. I hate to wonder, though, why the heck did that other kid never leave? The article says he was seen outside playing... wierd.
tgk77Jan 13, 2007
dear god, make it stop.
cpro007Jan 13, 2007
There are thousands of women who are in abusive relationships right now that never leave. If these grown women don't leave, how can you expect a young child to leave a controlling man? Maybe the man threatened to kill the boy's family if he ever left? or get his siblings and hurt them too. Not all children are "survivors." I know myself that as a child I would have been a very easy target for a grownup to control.
ariastarJan 13, 2007
Likely the reason that the boys didn't call for help earlier is Stockholm Syndrome, a syndrome in which the victim comes to identify with, love, etc., the victim. It's a survival method. When a captor feels understood and such by his victims, he/she is less likely to kill them. Some cases have been so extreme that the victims fell in love with and fought for the release of their captors from prison. One case I read about was the case of a woman beated and raped who fought for the release of the guy and wanted to marry him. I encourage you all to do a little research on Stockholm Syndrome to better understand what happens in these cases.