Reporting on Shawn Hornbeck & Ben Ownby
CBS News
Reported coverage offers a concise introduction.
2002–2007 · Missouri
Shawn Hornbeck & Ben Ownby
Abduction & survival
Shawn Hornbeck was abducted in Missouri in 2002. Four years later, the investigation into Ben Ownby’s abduction led police to Michael Devlin’s apartment, where both boys were found in January 2007. The rescue connected two missing-child cases that had initially seemed unrelated.
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The Story
When2002–2007
WhereMissouri
In this collection28 resources
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48 Hours — Kidnapped
Apple TV
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48 Hours — Kidnapped: Shawn Hornbeck’s Incredible Story
Apple Podcasts
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Blogs & Essays
Read our articles here and explore outside perspectives, credited to their writers and publications. See this case in the Journal →
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Blogs & essays
1 itemsAbout these sources
Outside essays and reading guides reflect their authors’ perspectives. Compare claims with reported and primary sources.
Mikayla Schultz · Penn State News Media Ethics course blog
Blog 4: Ownby & Hornbeck Case Study By: Mikayla Schultz
A student essay considers the ethics of reporting on the rescued boys. It is media analysis, not university-endorsed case research.
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Books
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Books
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Movies & TV
Movies
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TV & documentaries
2 itemsAbout these sources
Episodes, documentaries and title listings. Season and episode numbers follow the linked catalog and can differ by service. Air dates are separate from crime dates. Playback availability varies by service and region.
Apple TV
48 Hours — Kidnapped
Nonfiction screen coverage of this case. The linked page identifies the program or episode; playback, subscriptions, and regional availability vary.
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CBS · Season 21, Episode 1 · Listed air date 2008-09-24
48 Hours — Kidnapped - Shawn Hornbeck's Incredible Story
IMDb episode reference connected to the Shawn Hornbeck & Ben Ownby case. Listed release: 2008. Cast, credits, and title information; viewing availability is separate. Includes coverage of Shawn Hornbeck & Ben Ownby.
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Search Amazon · paid linkCredits & title details on IMDb
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Episode data: TVmaze · CC BY-SA 4.0
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Audiobooks
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Fiction Work
Fiction Work
Browse all →Scripted stories and fictional inspirations. Scenes, characters, and dialogue can differ from the record.
No verified fictional adaptation or inspiration has been identified in this collection. Nonfiction coverage is listed in the other media sections.
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Podcasts
Podcasts
14 itemsAbout these sources
Audio episodes and oral histories. Personal recollections are attributed perspectives; some services require sign-in.
Apple Podcasts
48 Hours — Kidnapped: Shawn Hornbeck’s Incredible Story
Direct episode page for this case or its screen adaptation. Open it for listening options and the publisher’s episode notes.
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Bang to Rights
Stolen Childhood: The Kidnapping of Shawn Hornbeck & Ben Ownby by Michael Devlin
Podcast coverage of the Shawn Hornbeck & Ben Ownby case. Released December 11, 2023. About 67 minutes.
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Blood and Bourbon
Ep. 10 Shawn Hornbeck (Missouri Miracle Part 1)
Podcast coverage of the Shawn Hornbeck & Ben Ownby case. Released May 22, 2024. About 52 minutes.
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SILENT SCREAMS
#32 Shawn Hornbeck Pt. 1 The Missouri Monster
Podcast coverage of the Shawn Hornbeck & Ben Ownby case. Released May 9, 2019. About 35 minutes.
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Fight or Flight
Episode 22: The Abduction of Shawn Hornbeck and Ben Ownby
Podcast coverage of the Shawn Hornbeck & Ben Ownby case. Released November 30, 2020. About 53 minutes.
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SILENT SCREAMS
#33 Shawn Hornbeck Pt. 2 The Missouri Miracle
Podcast coverage of the Shawn Hornbeck & Ben Ownby case. Released May 16, 2019. About 43 minutes.
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Show 8 more podcasts
True Crime in the 50
Missouri: The Kidnapping of Shawn Hornbeck and Ben Ownby
Podcast coverage of the Shawn Hornbeck & Ben Ownby case. Released January 12, 2026. About 22 minutes.
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United States of Murder
Missouri: Shawn Hornbeck, Ben Ownby, and Cassidy Rainwater
Podcast coverage of the Shawn Hornbeck & Ben Ownby case. Released January 9, 2023. About 42 minutes.
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SILENT SCREAMS
#91 The Night Shift Classic Shawn Hornbeck Pt. 1
Podcast coverage of the Shawn Hornbeck & Ben Ownby case. Released March 26, 2020. About 35 minutes.
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Dark. Damned. & Disturbed.
53. ABDUCTED: Shawn Hornbeck
Podcast coverage of the Shawn Hornbeck & Ben Ownby case. Released December 12, 2021. About 30 minutes.
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Missouri Mayhem: Mystery & Murder with Mindy & Megan!
The Kidnapping & Rescue of Shawn Hornbeck & Ben Ownby - Missouri Abductions
Podcast coverage of the Shawn Hornbeck & Ben Ownby case. Released January 21, 2026. About 26 minutes.
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Mombies
51 - Shawn Hornbeck & Ben Ownby
Podcast coverage of the Shawn Hornbeck & Ben Ownby case. Released June 7, 2023. About 54 minutes.
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Killer Instinct
Shawn Hornbeck and Ben Ownby : Missouri Miracle
Podcast coverage of the Shawn Hornbeck & Ben Ownby case. Released May 4, 2022. About 31 minutes.
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Patos
Shawn Hornbeck/Ben Ownby & Barbara Mackle
Podcast coverage of the Shawn Hornbeck & Ben Ownby case. Released October 21, 2021. About 64 minutes.
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Social Media
BRING YOUR PERSPECTIVE
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News & Reading
More Reading & Audio
2 sourcesExplore book records, previews, library audiobooks and selected documents. Access labels distinguish free material from library loans and paid subscriptions.
Open Library · Catalog / Availability
Invisible Chains by Kristina Sauerwein
Bibliographic record for related reading. Check the edition page for previews, lending and other access options; full text has not been confirmed.
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Google Books · Catalog / Availability
Invisible Chains
Related book record. Google may offer selected pages or another edition; full-book access is not confirmed.
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Reading Access Notes
Search reviewed 2026-09-16. Sources searched: Google Books, Internet Archive, Open Library, Library of Congress, Smithsonian Magazine, The Atavist Magazine, Google Books (case/title search), Scribd, Everand, OverDrive and hoopla (combined title search). Search indexing is incomplete; this is not an exhaustive list of the web. Access can change by edition, country and library membership. Library loans may require sign-in or a wait. Everand titles may need a paid subscription; a trial is not permanent free access. Scribd documents are third-party uploads, with uploader details noted where checked. We link to source pages and write our own descriptions rather than reproducing copyrighted books.
A separate Texas Monthly search was blocked by the publisher’s automated-access rules and could not be verified.
News & reporting
1 itemsCBS News
Reporting on Shawn Hornbeck & Ben Ownby
Linked reporting or commentary. Read the source date for its historical context; access may require a subscription.
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Newspaper clippings
2 itemsFeatured newspaper clipping
Read our original summary below. The archive link opens the newspaper’s own clipping viewer.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch · 2007-01-13 · Page A006
Shawn Hornbeck and Ben Ownby found alive
Local coverage describes how the search for Ben Ownby led police to both boys and reunited them with their families.
Contemporaneous rescue report with a search timeline.
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St. Louis Post-Dispatch · 2017-01-12 · Page A07
Ten years after the two boys' rescue
A retrospective follows the investigation, Michael Devlin's guilty pleas, and the boys' lives after captivity.
Continuation of an anniversary feature; personal updates reflect 2017.
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Search original reporting, follow the trial, and compare how newspapers covered the case over time.
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Internet Archive
3 itemsAbout these sources
Library records and preserved media. A catalog listing does not guarantee full reading or playback.
Internet Archive · TV News Archive
Nancy Grace : HLN : January 21, 2010 1:00am-2:00am EST
The archive indexes this broadcast under Shawn Hornbeck. It may contain several stories; use any available captions or previews to locate the relevant segment. Full playback may be restricted.
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Internet Archive · TV News Archive
The Early Show : WJZ : August 29, 2009 8:00am-10:00am EDT
The archive indexes this broadcast under Shawn Hornbeck. It may contain several stories; use any available captions or previews to locate the relevant segment. Full playback may be restricted.
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Internet Archive · TV News Archive
Today : WRC : September 1, 2009 7:00am-11:00am EDT
The archive indexes this broadcast under Shawn Hornbeck. It may contain several stories; use any available captions or previews to locate the relevant segment. Full playback may be restricted.
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Court & Files
Court records & documents
0 itemsAbout these sources
Documents are labeled by type and scope. Allegations in filings are not findings of guilt. This collection is not the complete case file.
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Positive Outcome
Positive Outcome
0 itemsAbout these sources
Documented laws, advocacy and reforms. Listing a change does not claim it is effective or universally supported.
No case-specific reform has been verified for this collection yet.
Social Media
5 itemsAbout these sources
Case-specific posts, videos and communities. Community opinions are separate from verified reporting. Platforms may require sign-in.
True Crime True Criminal
Strange True Crime Case of Shawn Hornbeck
Video from True Crime True Criminal covering the Shawn Hornbeck & Ben Ownby case. Length: 10:26.
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Killer Instinct Podcast
SOLVED: The Survival Story of Shawn Hornbeck and Ben Ownby.
Video from Killer Instinct Podcast covering the Shawn Hornbeck & Ben Ownby case. Length: 32:10.
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Emma Kenny
Stolen Childhood: The Kidnapping of Shawn Hornbeck & Ben Ownby by Michael Devlin
Video from Emma Kenny covering the Shawn Hornbeck & Ben Ownby case. Length: 1:07:32.
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KMOV St. Louis
22 years after attempted abduction, victim says he learned it was Michael Devlin
Video from KMOV St. Louis covering the Shawn Hornbeck & Ben Ownby case. Length: 3:02.
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Reddit · r/TrueCrimeDiscussion
Discussion: The Shawn Hornbeck Case
Public community discussion connected to Shawn Hornbeck & Ben Ownby. Posts and comments are reader perspectives, not independently verified reporting.
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