Teen may have guarded fellow captive

ST. LOUIS — Abducted teen Shawn Hornbeck was ordered to guard fellow captive Ben Ownby and hide him from police when they were repeatedly left alone in their captor’s apartment, an official told the Associated Press on Thursday.

Hornbeck’s cooperation stemmed from the isolation and abuse he experienced in the first 30 days after he was kidnapped in 2002, said the official, who requested anonymity.

Hornbeck, then 11 years old, was so traumatized after that first month that he began to see Michael Devlin, accused of kidnapping both boys, as his protector and surrogate parent, the official said, adding that such a reaction is common among abuse victims.

The official would not elaborate on what happened to Hornbeck when he was kidnapped but said details of the abuse and captivity would emerge soon in the case against Devlin. Devlin, a 41-year-old pizzeria manager, is charged with kidnapping Hornbeck and Ownby in separate remote Missouri towns four years apart.