Todays Oprah Show.. do you think it's too soon?

[DawnCt1]

Yes Dawn, but still without the original description from the boy the neighbor wouldn't have known. Also, this guy passed that truck for a few days and thought about it. It wasn't until the police were conveniently nearby that he said anything. Obviously he gets credit for bringing it up, but I still don't think he deserves as much as the kid who gave the description.

I do not disagree. Mitchell gave a stunning description of the pick up truck, right down to the rust spots. He was incredible. They gave him a lot of credit and an interview. He deserved that and much more. He was a great kid!

 

[r3ngels]

I was also blown away to learn that over the last 4 years, the police had picked up Shawn & a friend THREE TIMES for being out after curfew & brought him "home" to the apt.

Soooooo close!!!! But they never recognized him.

I haven't heard that... How sad

I don't know if I would have recognized him and his picture (age 11) and the computer aged photo has been at our grocery store for ever.

 

[mtemm]

I'm wondering if the police investigated that tip at all...or are they just saying they happened to notice this truck while at the apt for something else?

not sure about that, but from what the officers said, they and all the other officers had been checking out numerous white trucks over the week.

 

[summerrluvv]

I was also blown away to learn that over the last 4 years, the police had picked up Shawn & a friend THREE TIMES for being out after curfew & brought him "home" to the apt.

Soooooo close!!!! But they never recognized him.

Wow.

I'm just really perplexed that the kid didn't tell authorities and get help. Especially since he was left home alone and went out with friends and had so many opportunities to get help. It's just really strange. On Oprah he said he was terrified, but that just doesn't make sense to me. Of course I've never been kidnapped (almost was once though), so I don't know what I would do in that situation, but the whole thing just seems weird.

 

[JennyMominRI]

Wow.

I'm just really perplexed that the kid didn't tell authorities and get help. Especially since he was left home alone and went out with friends and had so many opportunities to get help. It's just really strange. On Oprah he said he was terrified, but that just doesn't make sense to me. Of course I've never been kidnapped (almost was once though), so I don't know what I would do in that situation, but the whole thing just seems weird.

IT's textbook stockholm syndrome.

 

[mylilnikita]

At one portion of the interview today, Shawn Hornbeck had admitted to going to his parent's website and left a message about how long would they look for their son and wrote a poem which would be about himself It didn't say what age he was when he did it, but to go to all that trouble. It is just weird. Glad he and the other boy were found though.

 

[DawnCt1]

I completely disagree... his parents have been in the news locally and nationally for 4 1/2 years getting the word out to help their son come home and to help other children come home or better yet not get taken... to report anything that we see... .

You have raised a good point. It would be hard to ask the public's support and not give them some feedback when it turns out okay. They don't "owe" it to the public but its a nice thing to do. It also raises awareness as you said, and gives hope.

 

[DawnCt1]

yes, i got all that too from the interview. and yes, he was shocked. i guess i didn't do a good job of conveying that. thank you.

I'm wondering if the police investigated that tip at all...or are they just saying they happened to notice this truck while at the apt for something else?

I do wonder how much they really did investigate. No one thinks that a sensational case can end up in their town but sometimes it does.

 

[Beth76]

Wow.

I'm just really perplexed that the kid didn't tell authorities and get help. Especially since he was left home alone and went out with friends and had so many opportunities to get help.

I hadn't heard that before either and it DOES sound very strange. I mean it's one thing not to want to tell a neighbor, but if you encounter the police, who better to tell? I'm sure he had to have given his name at that time--so it would have been a fake. Why this time did he give his correct name.

At one portion of the interview today, Shawn Hornbeck had admitted to going to his parent's website and left a message about how long would they look for their son and wrote a poem which would be about himself It didn't say what age he was when he did it, but to go to all that trouble. It is just weird.

That happened I think Oct 05. One of our local news stations found the entries on the website the evening that the boys were found. That was before it could be confirmed it was him.

 

[E&BMom]

I do wonder how much they really did investigate. No one thinks that a sensational case can end up in their town but sometimes it does.

Just my 2 cents...I don't know if the police followed up on that tip or not, but living in Kirkwood (15 yrs) where this is all happening....I can say in my experience with the police they have always been very responsive to any problems I have had that involved police. Unfortunately I'm not sure we will ever know for sure if they did follow up with the lead. It is all very weird!! We eat at the pizza place frequently ...so we have seen the arrested man.

 

[LindsayDunn228]

the theory holds that after some period of time a captive becomes attached to his/her captor and will stay with him even without compulsion.

I always thought this was Patty Hearst Syndrome.

 

[DawnCt1]

Just my 2 cents...I don't know if the police followed up on that tip or not, but living in Kirkwood (15 yrs) where this is all happening....I can say in my experience with the police they have always been very responsive to any problems I have had that involved police. Unfortunately I'm not sure we will ever know for sure if they did follow up with the lead. It is all very weird!! We eat at the pizza place frequently ...so we have seen the arrested man.

Oh my Goodness! Its amazing how things can hit close to home. Did he seem 'weird' to you?

 

[E&BMom]

Oh my Goodness! Its amazing how things can hit close to home. Did he seem 'weird' to you?

He seemed just quiet and did his job. We pretty much just ordered from hi.
It is VERY weird. You think it won't happen in your little town...but this proves that it does!!! It was very scary because I had just picked up DD. They walk home from school on Fri (DD is 13) and some of the kids hang out at the pizza place. She usually goes somewhere else. We might suspend walking home for a little while.

I do drive by that apt. complex a lot (on the way to a mall). Just very bizarre!!!

 

[SplshMtn99]

The part about the police picking up Shawn & a friend 3 times most likely I read on AOL news. I remember the friends (older?) brother was the one they were interviewing in the story. He was telling all about Shawn & friend (his brother) and what they liked to do (ride bikes & skateboard)...and how the friend slept over at Shawn's sometimes....how the friend saw guns at Shawn's.....how Shawn's "dad" was at work while he slept over. A female neighbor also said she saw Devlin teaching Shawn how to drive his pick-up truck. And then she later say Shawn driving the truck & the friend as a passenger.

Not sure if I'll be able to find the stories again...but I'll try.

ETA: Well, take your pick of newspapers to read it in. Its an AP story, so pretty much all the same.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&...+police+curfew+three+times&btnG=Google+Search

Just so amazing to think someone can have so much fear over you that you can't even tell the police the truth while you are already sitting in their car. So sad.

 

[lajones81]

I didn't see it, but for me, YES, it would be too soon or if at all.

I agree!

 

[r3ngels]

I do wonder how much they really did investigate. No one thinks that a sensational case can end up in their town but sometimes it does.

I think they were trying to investigate any tip that came in... but it was taking time ( I can't remember what they said but it was an amazing amount of tips on the truck) and they found the truck before every tip was investigated...

 

[r3ngels]

Just my 2 cents...I don't know if the police followed up on that tip or not, but living in Kirkwood (15 yrs) where this is all happening....I can say in my experience with the police they have always been very responsive to any problems I have had that involved police. Unfortunately I'm not sure we will ever know for sure if they did follow up with the lead. It is all very weird!! We eat at the pizza place frequently ...so we have seen the arrested man.

Did you see on Oprah that the same policemen had known Devlin from Imo's they had seen him there all the time. But said he changed completely when they started questioning him... he was a different person they said.

 

[dustysky]

Wow.

I'm just really perplexed that the kid didn't tell authorities and get help. Especially since he was left home alone and went out with friends and had so many opportunities to get help. It's just really strange. On Oprah he said he was terrified, but that just doesn't make sense to me. Of course I've never been kidnapped (almost was once though), so I don't know what I would do in that situation, but the whole thing just seems weird.

I thought the same thing.

 

[E&BMom]

Did you see on Oprah that the same policemen had known Devlin from Imo's they had seen him there all the time. But said he changed completely when they started questioning him... he was a different person they said.

I did!!!! They do go there to eat a lot. We see them all the time at Imo's (The pizza place). It is literally across the street from the police station!!!!! Just very, very sad and scary!!

 

[Buckalew11]

How can Fox's Bill think it doesn't exist?

Women often stay with abusive men (and visa versa, I'm sure) it is a known fact. That should tell him something about this type of thing. We're talking a young boy here. Who knows what that guy told him, gave him, threatened him with, etc.

I didn't see the Oprah show but I'm sure she was very sensitive to the families involved. I hope and pray they can all move forward with their lives. I can only imagine what kind of effect something like that would have on anyone--adult or child.