Two Missing Missouri Boys Found Alive, One Missing Since 2002
I heard briefly about this last night, and I've just been watching the news conference that Shawn Hornbeck's parents held this morning. As his stepfather spoke to the media, he and his mom sat next to him, and Shawn often leaned in and spoke quietly to his mother. All I can think is: this boy was 11 when he disappeared. My boy will be 11 in a few months. I am watching this 15 year old boy, who is now taller than his mom, and I just cannot imagine what this has been like for them. Thank God he's been found. Thank God he's ok. (Of course, I have no idea what he's been through and how he is inside. But physically he's ok, and I'm watching him sitting next to his mom, calm and smiling and talking to her quietly. He is at least 'ok'.)
I'm sure there are a lot more profound things that could be said about this. I don't have those words.
Look at how much he's changed:
2002
This morning.
I am overjoyed for this family. My heart also goes out to them, for all the lost time and for whatever pain Shawn has been through and will need to recover from.
I have not heard as much about the other boy, Ben Ownby. I understand he'd been missing 5 days. The school bus dropped him off at his home, and the last that was seen of him was him walking up his driveway. An angel on the bus saw a white truck, and was able to describe it to the police. And that is what directly led to the discovery of these two boys.
God bless them all.
Edited to Add:
I can't stop thinking about this and am continually trolling the internet for new and old stories about this. And it is reminding me so much of the Steven Stayner case. I hope that Shawn will have a wonderful life now that he is back with his family.
1/15 Edited again:
This is now on the website that was set up for the search for Shawn, www.shawnhornbeck.com
Aren't those just the most fabulous words EVER written?
4 comments:
I hadn't realised that was the story. I just turned the TV on long enough last night to put the DVD on and missed the info.
All I can say is woah, I can't imagine what those families are going through. Can't imagine.
I'm glad they're alive and found. I just hope they're OK.
What makes people do this?
That poor kid. I also heard that he hasn't been to school in that entire time...he's going to have so much to catch up on.
All in all, though, this is a happy ending.
They were looking for the 5 days missing boy, and it was a wonderful surprise when they found Shawn there too. I was worried (when I read in the newspaper) that maybe he'd be distant from his parents, after 4 years, but he seemed smiling and as you said, leaning in to talk to his mother.
I hope they can manage to catch up on some of the time they've lost, though I'm sure you'd never get it all back.
Helen
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