[Betty Nguyen, Cnn Anchor:] "Now in the News," we have some major stories that we're following. One right here, you're seeing live pictures. We're waiting the start of a news conference from the family of a Missouri teenager found by police more than four years after his disappearance. It is quite remarkable. Now also another boy was found with him on Friday evening. That boy had been missing since Monday. A suspect in this case is in custody.
[T.j. Holmes, Cnn Anchor:] The other major story we're following is the major ice storm that's gripping the nation's midsection. It's dumping snow and freezing rain across the region. Icy roads already causing some travel issues, and flights have been delayed and flights have been canceled at several airports.
[Nguyen:] Take a look at these pictures; they are just in from Baghdad. Senator Hillary Clinton greeting Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. Clinton and a three-member congressional delegation are in Iraq to meet with U.S. and Iraqi officials. This trip comes amid strong Democratic opposition to President Bush's plan to boost the number of U.S. troops serving in Iraq.
[Holmes:] Also, tsunami warnings and tsunami watches affecting Japan, Alaska, and Hawaii have now been lifted. The warnings were issued after an underwater Pacific earthquake off Japan's northern coast. That quake measured 8.2. All right. Think of a I have got to get me one of these.
[Nguyen:] That is the coolest thing.
[Holmes:] That is the coolest kitchen gadget around. I know you want one, and I know you want to see more of this.
[Nguyen:] I want to know how much it is. That's what I want to know.
[Holmes:] You can get it for $9.99. No problem.
[Nguyen:] Plus shipping and handling. No problem.
[Holmes:] Stick around, though. We've got a lot of cool stuff to show you coming up on "Open House." That's coming your way in 30 minutes. Stick around for that cool gadget and much, much more.
[Nguyen:] In the meantime, we do have a lot to tell you about this morning, two major stories. Missing boys found and the snowstorm, actually an ice storm in many areas. We're going to be giving you all of that. Good morning, everybody. Welcome to CNN. I'm Betty Nguyen.
[Holmes:] And I'm T.J. Holmes. We are all over those two major stories today. We're still awaiting that press conference we told you about. That's going to come to us from Union, Missouri. That's where Shawn Hornbeck's family is expected to speak about their four-year ordeal. Fifteen -year-old Shawn who was found Friday in an apartment with another missing teen. That boy, Ben Ownby, had been missing since Monday. More now from CNN's senior national correspondent, John Roberts.
[John Roberts, Cnn Senior National Correspondent:] You're looking at Ben Ownby. He disappeared on Monday. And this is Shawn Hornbeck, who vanished more than four years ago. They are back with their families after being found together inside a home in Kirkwood, Missouri.
[Sheriff Gary Toelke, Franklin County, Missouri:] Both boys appear at this point to be OK. Obviously, they'll be checked out to make certain that they're in good shape.
[Roberts:] This remarkable story unfolded last night when two police officers went to serve a warrant at an apartment complex.
[Toelke:] While they were at that location, they found a vehicle that fit the description of the truck that we were looking for.
[Roberts:] That truck matched the one speeding away from the spot where 13-year-old Ownby went missing. Ownby, a Boy Scout and straight "a" student was last seen getting off a school bus just outside St. Louis.
[Doris Ownby, Ben Ownby's Mother:] We want people to know that we just want Ben back, that we miss him. And love him. Just to get him home to us.
[Roberts:] Once they found the truck, police found the boys.
[Toelke:] You have one of these in your career, that's quite an experience. And luckily, that one had a positive ending. And then to have another one come up, this is just unbelievable.
[Roberts:] Arrested was Michael Devlin. The 41-year-old was charged with first degree kidnapping and is being held on $1 million bail.
[Robert Parks, Franklin County Prosecutor:] More charges are likely to be filed as we find out more about that. But at the present time, we've filed one charge. He is still being questioned, and we can't say any more than that.
[Roberts:] While Ben Ownby was last seen four days ago, the family of Shawn Hornbeck hasn't seen him since October 6, 2002, some 60 miles from St. Louis. At the time, he was only 11 years old, riding his bicycle to a friend's house. His mother pleaded for help.
[Pam Akers, Shawn Hornbeck's Mother:] There's one person out there that has either seen him or has you know, is the person that's done something to him, and it only takes one phone call to let us know where he's at.
[Roberts:] Two boys who vanished years apart have finally come home safe and sound. And the prayers of many have been answered. John Roberts, CNN, Washington.
[Nguyen:] Now, it is just amazing to think that Shawn Hornbeck had been missing for four years, and he wasn't that far from home. Kirkwood, Missouri, less than 50 miles away from where Shawn was abducted. But now there's the question of how he'll adjust to being home again. Well, Mark Klaas, a child safety advocate, whose own daughter Polly Klaas was kidnapped and murdered, he spoke to our Larry King last night.
[Larry King, Cnn:] You watch these cases time after time, and they either end up open-ended with no resolution at all or the little child is found dead. So, you know, this is like...
[Nguyen:] Let's take you now live to Richwoods, Missouri. You are seeing right there Shawn Hornbeck, the young man who was abducted back when he was 11 years old. Right now he is 15. Also there by his side, his mother, Pam Akers, who's been through quite an ordeal. You see she is a hugging member of the community. A lot of them coming out right now as we're waiting to hear what this family is going to be saying today to the media. Of course, they've had some time to speak with Shawn. He was released from the hospital last night after being checked out, and obviously he is A-OK. A lot of people really just want to know, T.J. what happened during these four years in captivity.
[Holmes:] Maybe we'll get some answers here. But by all accounts, the kids were found together, and Shawn here, four years later, were in pretty good spirits, pretty good health. You see him walking in here even, had somewhat of a grin on his face, and smiled. Looked like a normal 15-year-old kid. Only thing is he's been missing from his parents. They've been going through it the past four years, and everybody is curious now to find out exactly what Shawn has been going through the past four years. He certainly looks different; he's matured, four years older now. He was 11 then. Full teenager, taller, and everything else. Looks like a normal kid, but not a normal ordeal, certainly at all, that he's going through.
[Nguyen:] By any means. If we could just begin to imagine the relief that his mother is feeling today especially when she got that call yesterday. That her son is alive. We spoke with a reporter from an affiliate there in Missouri a little bit earlier today. Many of the leads had just gone cold in this case. Some had thought, when Shawn was just 11 years old, that he may have been hit by a car riding his bike. We want to try to listen in right now to this news conference. Let's take a look.
[Craig Akers, Stepfather:] Obviously, this is probably the best day of our lives. It's hard to even come up with words that can express the feeling that we've been going through since 4:00 yesterday afternoon when we received the phone call. We were on our way home from work yesterday driving home in the miserable rain and nasty stuff when we got the call that they believed that Shawn had been found and that he was OK. I think it's probably the phone call that I'll remember most for the rest of my life. It was since then it's been like a dream. We're afraid that any moment we're going to wake up and it's all going to have been a dream. I think this is kind of reinforcing the fact that it's not a dream, that this is reality. We're so, so fortunate. And this once again is a prime example of why, over the last four years, I've told everyone in this situation not to give up hope. There's always hope. Hope is what gets you through. And sometimes this is what happens when you have that hope. You know, this is just one of those rare, rare things. I mean, to have one missing child found is just extraordinary. To have two found at the same time is just one of those things that I don't even know if you ever even read about things like that. We are so thankful to everyone that's been here for us for the last four years. The media has done such a wonderful job of keeping Shawn's story in the public eye. Everyone that has helped us over the last four years. There's been thousands and thousands of people that have helped us in one-way or another. It's hard to even come up with words to tell you how much this has meant to us. One of the primary reasons we're here today and doing this today is for those other parents out there that do have missing children. I remember when I got a phone call, when Elizabeth Smart was found. I was actually in the back of an RV going down the highway on my way to Canada to do some training with one of our canines when I received the call that she had been found, and naturally did a bunch of interviews on the cell phone. And I remember how much that raised our hopes, how much fuel that gave us to keep going. And that's one of the primary reasons that we wanted to do this today. To give some of that fuel to some of the other parents that are in this situation, to let them know that miracles do happen, good things can happen. They don't always end bad. And to just express how much that we appreciate everything that everyone has done for us. This is kind of the start of a new chapter, I guess. Shawn's home, but that definitely doesn't mean that the Shawn Hornbeck Foundation's work is done. Hopefully, we have another member of the Shawn Hornbeck Foundation now that can help us look for other missing children. That's something that's not going to go away. That's something that we devoted our lives to four years ago, and just because we've recovered our own son doesn't mean that our work is done. And I don't think that work will ever be done. But once again, just we're just so thankful for everyone, for everything that's been done. We debated whether or not to bring Shawn here today. And it was pretty much left up to him. We brought him here. He's not quite ready to speak with the media yet. You know, that's going to be something that's going to come over time, and when that time is right, we'll let you all know, and we'll be able to do this again, and you'll be able to talk to the boy that's been on the forefront of everyone's mind for so long. Pam, I didn't leave anything for you to say.
[P. Akers:] I also too just want to thank everybody for everything that you have done. I do want to give the other family members out there hope that their child can come home also. Shawn is a miracle here. We're glad to have him home. I still feel like I'm in a dream. Only this time it's a good dream. It's not my nightmare that I've lived for four-and-a-half years. We've got a lot of catching up to do. He's grown up on me. That's for sure. And I just really want to thank everybody, everybody that's been out there to help search for Shawn. Everybody that's been out there to help us search for other missing kids. Everybody that has searched for other missing kids that were not even found and most likely, I want to give that hope to the families. To the families that their kids can come home. It may be years later, may be days later, may be weeks later, but they can come home safe and just always keep that faith and hope. Thank you.
[C. Akers:] I guess now it's time for my usual message that I give to all parents about child safety. It seems like, when things like this happen, when Ben disappeared, that these kinds of situations come to the forefront of all parents' minds again. And once again, they watch out where their children are going and make sure their children aren't alone. I've watched it happen so many times, seems like just weeks later that everyone falls back into the old routine, that urgency goes away. You fall back into the same patterns that you had before, and I'm here to try to get you to not do that. It's not the same world that I grew up in. It's not the same world that a lot of us grew up in. The days of sending your child out the door in the morning to go play and not seeing them again until that evening unfortunately are gone. It's very unfortunate that our kids can't be kids the way that we were kids anymore. It's a different society. It's a changed world. Unfortunately, not for the better. I just want to try to stress the importance to all parents out there or prospective parents, future parents, as we all know, our children are our most precious commodity. They're our future. They're our future leaders. We have to do everything in our power. It's our responsibility to do everything in our power to keep our children safe. And that can be very simple things, know where your child is. Don't let your child go places alone. If they can even stay in pairs to where, you know, your child is always with a buddy, that in itself will go a long way towards preventing the kinds of things like this happening. And I know that a few weeks from now that will all be in the back of everyone's mind and they're going to forget. I've watched it happen too many times over the last four years. And everyone will fall back into those old patterns. I just want to urge you to not fall back into those patterns, to try to keep this at the forefront of your mind and do everything in your power to keep your children safe. I'll answer some questions. And we'll just kind of go from there. Anyone have any questions?
[Question:] Craig, yesterday how did you folks find out?
[C. Akers:] We were in our car driving home from work. It was a little after 4:00, I believe. We received a call from the Washington County prosecuting attorney. He asked where we were. He said, well, we're in the car driving home, and he asked us to pull over. Right then, your heart goes jumping through your chest, it took a minute to find a suitable place to pull over. And then the next words were "we think we found Shawn. We're 95 percent sure that we found Shawn and that he's alive." And those were the sweetest words I ever heard in my life. We spent the next couple minutes crying and just trying to not to get too awfully excited. We wanted to desperately to be there with them. We were asked to go to the Franklin County Sheriff's Department to meet with them, make sure it was Shawn. And I think that's the longest drive I've ever had to do. The rain and sleet and people driving 10 miles an hour. You know, it was definitely a long ride, but worth every second.
[Question:] Can you tell us about that first moment you laid eyes on Shawn after all these years?
[C. Akers:] There really weren't any words at that point. It was just there's a split second of shock, you know. The last time we saw him; he was yea tall and 11 years old. It kind of throws you for just a second. But then, you know, once I saw the face, it's like, oh, my god, that's my son. And it was just a big group hug, kisses. We told him we loved him. And that he's home now. And that was pretty much where we were for about the first five minutes. There really weren't too many words spoken other than a lot of I love you, hugs, kisses, and we're so glad that you're home and him expressing how glad that he was to finally be home.
[Question:] How was the first night home?
[C. Akers:] I'm not sure we've had a first night at home yet.
[P. Akers:] Still one day.
[C. Akers:] We didn't get home until; I believe it was almost 1:30 this morning.
[S. Hornbeck: 2:] 30.
[C. Akers: 2:30, 1:] 30, I don't know, sometime early this morning. There was a large number of family members waiting for us at home when we got there. You know, so there goes another couple of hours. Really, we really haven't had any time to absorb all this, you know. We've been constantly surrounded by family. Shawn got a little nap this morning, not much. I got a little nap. Pam got a little nap. We're really afraid to go to sleep. You know, you're afraid you're going to wake up and this was all just a dream. Thank god I woke up and it's not a dream. Here we are.
[C. Akers:] It was so weird to just sit there and listen to him talking and reminiscing, you know. Say, hey, do you remember this? Do you remember when we did this? Remember when we did that? Is it was just...
[P. Akers:] Just to hear that.
[C. Akers:] Yes, just to hear that.
[P. Akers:] Just to hear that Shawn was talking and to say, do you remember this? Just that alone. Like Craig said, him and I were in the other room. The kids thought we didn't hear things. We heard. We listened to everything. And just every time I heard Shawn say, yes, I remember. It was just like another miracle. I'm so thankful that he does remember his family.
[Question:] Has Shawn been able to tell you what he's been through?
[C. Akers:] We haven't even gotten to that point yet. Like I said, we really haven't had any time alone. That will come in its due time. You know, when Shawn's ready to discuss that, we'll discuss it. If he you know, if he doesn't want to discuss it, we won't. So, you know, we really probably don't know a whole lot more than you do at this point. As a matter of fact, yesterday afternoon, I know that you knew more than we did. We were getting phone calls on the way to the sheriff's department telling us that he had been found and he was alive and OK. So there are a lot of times where I felt that you guys had the scoop and you knew more than I did. I was going to come and ask you questions.
[Question:] Craig, he looks wonderful. How is he?
[C. Akers:] I think excellent. My first clue on the way home last night, his first request was to stop at McDonald's to get something to eat. So that's a really good clue right there that that things are slowly getting back to where they need to go. He's in good health. He's in good spirits. Obviously glad to be home. There's really at this point, not anything we need to be concerned about other than giving everyone time to let everything take its course and let all this sink in. And, you know, just take it one minute at a time. Used to be one day at a time. Right now it's one minute at a time. I don't know from one minute to the next what we're doing. Oh, no, you can't lose hope. There's been many times where we investigated leads that took us down a road that we didn't want to go, but that's a road we had to go down just because you have to find out. That doesn't mean we lost hope. I've been asked a lot of times, what do you think happened? And you know, I've always said, you know, I don't really have an opinion as to what happened. I know what the predominant stories are. I know what I've heard over and over and over. And, you know, 99 percent of those were very unpleasant stories, and it's hard not to give up hope when you just hear this over and over and over. But hope's the only thing that you have. Hope keeps you going. Hope keeps you alive. Hope gets you up in the morning. You know, I've always thought that, once you lose hope, it's over. You're done. And I promised not to lose hope, not to stop looking, and I've said all along, we will not stop until we find Shawn. Well, by god, here we are.
[Question:] What has the community meant during the four years?
[C. Akers:] This community, the whole St. Louis area, the whole Midwest, the whole country has been so supportive. This community in particular has been so supportive of us and all the things that we've done. There are a lot of things that we just absolutely couldn't have done without all of your help. During our initial search for Shawn in the first few months, between October and, I believe it was, the middle of January, we had over 1,600 different people from this community and surrounding communities that came out and signed up and volunteered to help us search, 1,600 different people came out and helped us. That's something that not a lot of people can say. Without the community, this would have been a far harder thing to deal with. You know, naturally, if you don't have a good support behind you, everything is a lot more difficult. We're very fortunate to have had some of the best support anyone could ask for. We're just so thankful for everything that everyone has done. And you can see here today that you know, that it did pay off. You weren't walking around in the woods for nothing. You weren't spending all your days looking for nothing. It paid off. We're here. And it can happen again.
[Question:] Did Shawn get a sense at all yesterday of
[C. Akers:] No, he really didn't. They were pretty much separated from the time that they got to the sheriff's department. So, no, they really didn't have a chance to talk. Pam did talk with Ben's parents a little bit last night. I think you probably talked to them more than anybody did. You know, so we were able to make contact there and let them know how thankful we are that this turned out this way. But, you know, they haven't had a chance to sit down and talk. Maybe at some point that will come. Maybe it won't. I don't know. It's one of those things that we'll just have to wait and see what happens.
[Question:] You heard that Ben had disappeared, was there a little kind of flashback?
[C. Akers:] Any time it's a situation like that the circumstances are very similar. In this case, in Ben's case, we were very fortunate that someone was paying attention and saw something. In Shawn's case, we didn't have that. I imagine it was the same type of situation, but, you know, no one saw anything happen. In Ben's case, we were very, very fortunate that someone was paying attention, and we had one little lead to follow up on. And that was the white truck. Without that, this we might not be here today. So, you know, once again, it goes to show that what you think is important and not important may not necessarily be what is or isn't important. If you see something suspicious like that, it's your obligation to tell someone about it. It might not mean anything to you, but in the bigger picture, it could mean a lot to someone else. So, you know, it's another one of those situations where in today's society, no one wants to get involved. No one wants to stick their nose in anybody else's business. They just put on blinders and go forward and, oh, I don't want to get involved. That's none of my business. Well, if everybody felt that way, we wouldn't be here today. So, you know, you have to, when you see something that's out of the ordinary, you have to do something about it. You know, it's a pretty simple message. It kind of seems like something really basic and simple, but any more in today's society, we don't see it happen a lot. And we're so thankful that it did.
[Question:] What do you think that little boy
[C. Akers:] We really hadn't heard a whole lot about that. As a matter of fact, we haven't heard a whole lot of details about anything. You know, it comes back to you guys know more than we do about the whole case.
[P. Akers:] That is two people that I would like definitely to be able to talk to and to see.
[C. Akers:] And, obviously, there are two guys that I want to meet. They're both Kirkwood Police Department officers, and one way or another, we are going to meet those two gentlemen and give them a big hug and let them know how much we appreciate them paying attention and doing the job that they're out there to do. In my opinion, had it not been for the efforts of those two officers, we probably wouldn't be standing here right now. Now, my hat is off to those guys. They did a hell of a job. I'm so thankful, and one way or another, we're going to find those guys, and they're going to get a big hug whether they want it or not.
[Question:] Any special plans for the weekend? Any special requests or anything?
[C. Akers:] We haven't planned anything yet. There have been some requests. He wants to go ride four wheelers, and he wants to play video games. You know, I'm sure he's got plans in his head. But, you know, we really haven't thought past the moment. We're still trying to make sure we're not asleep and going to wake up. No, we really don't have any plans as of yet other than to go shopping and buy some clothes. His old stuff doesn't fit him, obviously. However, they were still in his dresser at the house. You can open up the dresser drawer, and there are his clothes just the way he left them four years ago. I guess we're going to have to get rid of those and buy some new ones. That's probably all that I know of that we have planned is doing a little bit of clothes shopping.
[Question:] Any idea whether Shawn had a sense during his absence about individuals, the age progressed photographs, the anniversary?
[C. Akers:] We have talked just a little bit about that, and there have been some instances where he has been aware of the efforts going on to find him. He did mention that he saw one of the benches that we put out in some of the area grocery stores. And about the only comment that I've heard so far was that the first age progressed photo was an insult. We agree. That was one of the ones that we didn't like either. So we reached a consensus that that first one just really wasn't any good. Once again, we really haven't had any time at all to sit down and just talk, you know. It's still just a whirlwind, as you can imagine. That will come when it comes.
[Question:] You know of anything that Shawn was doing related to school?
[C. Akers:] No. Shawn has not been to school while he's been gone.
[Question:] Would you ever guess that Shawn would be hidden in plain sight?
[C. Akers:] No. Actually, it's just mind boggling that it was that easy to hide someone in plain sight. By this time, if you don't know Shawn and looked at him now, you might not know that it was him. Sheriff Toelke in Franklin County made the comment that, if he had just run into him on the street, he would have never known that it was him. And that's probably the case for most people. You know, we believe, if we would have run into him on the street, that would have been a different story. But, yes, it's just hard to believe that somebody could be that brazen and I mean, it just it just boggles my mind that someone thinks that they can get away with it. And obviously they do. I mean, this has been going on for four years, and he's been right here under our nose the whole time. I just don't understand how that can happen. Obviously it does. It goes back to everybody minding their own business and not wanting to get involved, not paying attention, and putting their blinders on and worrying about themselves and themselves only. We've lost a lot of our sense of community. We've lost a lot of our neighbor helping neighbor. And it's a shame.
[Question:] Do you know if Shawn was in that same area the entire time, or have there been other areas?
[C. Akers:] As far as I know, that's we really don't know for sure. I mean, we haven't had a lot of time to talk about it. As far as I know, he's been in the same area.
[P. Akers:] Yes, he has been in the same area.
[C. Akers:] You all right?
[Question:] I know you don't want us to question does he want to say anything, make a statement and ask him anything? Does he want to talk to us?
[C. Akers:] No. We'd rather not at this time. That will come.
[P. Akers:] It will come.
[C. Akers:] I promise you that will come. And when he's ready, we will have the opportunity to do that in his good time. When he's ready, he'll let us know, and we'll let you know. Any more questions?
[Question:] Mr. Akers, we have a lot more questions, but you probably want to be with your family.
[C. Akers:] And we really, really appreciate that. That's why yesterday we decided that probably our smartest move was to do this here this morning, get everybody together in one place. You know, we've been totally overwhelmed with calls from all across the country, from every news media in the country, as well as, you know, just people, well-wishers, people that we've run across. And we are going to ask that, after this press conference, if you would please give us some time to sit down and get back together and let let Shawn absorb all this, let us absorb all this. And like I said, as soon as as soon as Shawn is ready, we'll give you guys a call, and we'll be more than happy to sit down and do this again. And when Shawn's ready, you know, he'll be able to talk to you and tell us what he wants to tell you. But if you would just please give us a little bit of time to get to that place, we would definitely appreciate it. You know, we need some time to be together as a family and to deal with all of this.
[Question:] Craig, can I ask you a yes or no? A lot of people here are wondering, did Shawn post things on Web sites?
[C. Akers:] We we don't know. I know what you're referring to. It was brought to my attention just a couple an hour or so ago. And we don't we don't know the origin of those posts yet. It is something that we'll be discussing and looking into.
[P. Akers:] Yes. At this point, we haven't asked Shawn that yet. Like we said, we've just been trying to take him all in, not ask any questions. All the answers will come later. Right now we're just trying to absorb that he's home.
[C. Akers:] Yes. The Web site, as soon as I can get to it, we'll be updating the Web site. And updated information will be put on the Web site as it becomes available. And I really don't see any reason why any of those Web sites will go away any time soon. Last night we were trying to get someone in to make some changes and updates on the Web site, but there was so much traffic to the server that we couldn't even get logged on to the server to make any changes. So it's still the same way that it was. Hopefully sometime today we'll get in there and make some updates and let everyone else know what we know.
[Question:] Congratulations.
[C. Akers:] Thank you so much. Any more? Great. Once again, thank you. I you know, thank you doesn't seem to do it.
[Nguyen:] And you have been listening to Craig Akers, the stepfather to Shawn Hornbeck, who you see right there hugging his mother. This is live from Richwoods, Missouri. Shawn found yesterday. The family, in fact, didn't get the call until about 4:00 p.m. They were driving and were told by the attorney for Franklin County to pull over because he had some news for them. And, of course, when you hear that, you never know what that news is going to be. But when they did, they heard that their son Shawn was found. At least they believed at the time that that was Shawn, and that he was indeed alive. We're looking right now. He is alive and well, back with his family. They are just so thankful to be with him. As you'll recall, he's been missing since 2002. He was just 11 years old at the time. He was riding his bike to school when he was abducted. And we have learned a few things from this news conference today with the family. We have learned that Shawn had not been to school in these four years of captivity. Also, that he has been in the same area where he was found all of this time, which isn't that far from Richwoods, Missouri, about 50 to 60 miles outside of Shawn's home there. Shawn, as we can see, obviously has aged in the four years. He is now a teenager, a 15-year-old, who is loving being back with his family, also with his sister. They were recalling last night some of the things that they remembered growing up. But I think the main thing, the point about to talk to you about and a point that we should make is that this family wanted to come out today so soon after seeing their son because they say they want to bring hope to other families. And, for example, one of the reasons why they wanted to do this is because they remember specifically when Elizabeth Smart was abducted and how much it raised their hopes when they got news that she was found. Elizabeth, as you recall, was reported missing back in June of 2002. She was found in March of 2003. And, in fact, we have Ed Smart on the phone right now, Elizabeth's father. And Ed, I have to tell you, this is a wonderful day to see this young man, Shawn Hornbeck, alive after four years. Are you just as amazed as the rest of us?
[Ed Smart, Father Of Elizabeth Smart:] I am just so happy for them. That's I mean, this is what we want to hear more and more, that other children are being found and brought back to their families. And what a wonderful blessing. I'm just so happy for them.
[Nguyen:] How important is it for this family to do what they've done and come out today, speak? It's got to be difficult so soon after finally getting their son back. But to come in front of the nation like they have and talk about the ordeal that they've been through, how important is that for other families out there who are still waiting for that phone call, that unfortunately they may never get?
[Smart:] Well, I certainly think it gives them great hope, and I hope that the media and everyone gives them space so that they can reconnect together, because what he's been through, none of us know. And it's you know, it's a wonderful time to reconnect, to develop those bonds, develop the trust that is there in a true family. And I just hope and pray that things go very well for him and that he's able to adjust back into that family and resume life.
[Nguyen:] As we're watching them walk out of the elementary school there in Richwoods, Missouri, I just won't forget the look on Shawn's face. I mean, this is a young man, a young teenager. This is a picture right now of him coming into that elementary school. People patting him and hugging him. I mean, this is a young man who seems to have everything about him, seems to be in fairly good spirits considering what he's been through. But when you finally saw your daughter after being missing for nearly a year, were you just as shocked as these parents are at how she changed and how composed she was?
[Smart:] I was completely shocked. You know, that moment that I saw her, first I mean, it went through my mind, is it really her? How could she change so much in that period of time? And it's really you know, you're taken back and second-guessing yourself. So I...
[Nguyen:] And that's what this family said indeed. When they first saw him, they thought, wait a second, yes, that is our son. But it took them a minute just to kind of gather the image in their mind of this little 11-year-old that they had last seen.
[Smart:] Absolutely. It's just not can it really be true? Is this really happening? Is it reality? And I'm just so happy for them. It's wonderful, and I just hope that they can regroup as a family and enjoy that that time together.
[Nguyen:] I love the smile that we were just seeing just a second ago on Shawn's face when he was seeing his mother hug that gentleman right there in the video. Let me ask you this, though. We heard the family talk about the fact that they really haven't gone into the details of Shawn's captivity just yet. Is that pretty much protocol when it comes to a situation like this? Do you want to wait for your son or daughter to come to you with that information instead of probing them?
[Smart:] Well, I have no doubt that he's probably had to talk with the police about what happened and so forth. But I think for the family to give him time to do it on his own is so important. It's something that he needs to be able to express as he wants to and as he feels comfortable and safe.
[Nguyen:] And another thing that we learned is that Shawn had pretty much been in the same area where he was found this whole time for the past four years. Does that surprise you at all? Because if I recall correctly, Elizabeth wasn't too far away from your home as well.
[Smart:] Absolutely. It just goes back to the old scenario that they're not far from home. And we just need to keep our eyes out for these kids and try to keep their face out there in the media when they're missing, because it's really everyone working together that brings them home. And, you know, thank heaven for those that were keeping their eyes out.
[Nguyen:] Absolutely. Are you still with us, Ed?
[Smart:] I am.
[Nguyen:] OK, great. I thought we may have had a disconnection there. Let me ask you this too, though, because it was kind of humorous when we heard Craig Akers, Shawn's stepfather, talk about the picture where they showed the age progression. They kept this in the news. They kept the search for Shawn in the media hoping to find some kind of lead. And Shawn, when he finally got a look at that, said, that was an insult. But regardless, it's important, isn't it? It's important to try to do whatever you can to keep the information flowing so that people don't forget and they continue to search.
[Smart:] They really need to. You know, you just never know when I mean, I remember the two people that helped in finding and spotted Elizabeth, and I just am so grateful to them. And it's really an effort on the part of the media and the public in law enforcement that really brings these children home. And how wonderful it is. We just need to hear more of these stories instead of the bad ones.
[Nguyen:] Absolutely. I mean, and Ed, we try not to use the word "remarkable," "amazing," a "miracle," but in this case, it seems pretty appropriate. Not only was Shawn found, who had been missing for four years, but we also have the other little boy found in this case who is with his family now, Ben Ownby. And just to look at this and the circumstances, just the odd circumstances that led to them finding these I want to call them children, but Shawn is a teenager is just simply amazing. So you being in the shoes where these parents are walking right now, what kind of advice would you give to them?
[Smart:] You know, just giving time, re-establishing themselves with their children, and letting them kind of come out on their own to them. And just loving them. I think that that's the greatest thing that helps to heal and bring them back. And, you know, the kids need to realize it was in no way their fault and that, you know, people should not I mean, they need to realize that other people don't have the right to do what they did to them. And, you know, if there's one thing that we can do as parents, is instill in our children the value that, you know, nobody has the right to hurt them, to take them. You know, I've really been an advocate of
[Nguyen:] Ed, we really appreciate your time and your advice and your information today, as you have been through your own ordeal. And just as it did in this case, it had a happy ending, and we're so thankful for those. Ed Smart, of course we're going to be talking with you a little bit later today. And for our viewers, just one more note here. If you recall, Ed Smart is the father to Elizabeth Smart, who was missing back in June of 2002. But she was found alive and well in March of 2003. So he has a lot of experience in this area. And again, Ed, we do thank you for your insight today. All of this news coming to us just moments ago as we heard from the family of Shawn Hornbeck. Just an amazing tale of how they got word and how they're spending time with their son, who is finally back home with them. Want to take you back a moment now so that you can listen to some of this news conference that we had just heard, for those of you who may have missed it and for those of you who just want to hear it again, because finally this is a good story and one that we would like to bring to you once again. So take a look.
[C. Akers:] Welcome, everyone. Thank you for coming. I know we couldn't keep you away if we had to. Obviously, this is probably the best day of our lives. It's hard to even come up with words that can express the feeling we've been going through since 4:00 yesterday afternoon when we received the phone call. We were on our way home from work yesterday, driving home in miserable rain and nasty stuff, when we got the call that they believed that Shawn had been found and that he was OK. I think it's probably the phone call that I'll remember most for the rest of my life. It was since then, it's been like a dream. We're afraid that any moment we're going to wake up and it's all going to have been a dream. I think this is kind of reinforcing the fact that it's not a dream, that this is reality. We're so, so fortunate. And this once again is a prime example of why over the last four years I've told everyone in this situation not to give up hope. There's always hope. Hope is what gets you through. And sometimes this is what happens when you have that hope. You know, this is just one of those rare, rare things. I mean, you know, to have one missing child found is just extraordinary. To have two found at the same time is just one of those things that I don't even know if you ever even read about things like that. We're so thankful to everyone that was that's been here for us for the last four years. The media has done such a wonderful job of keeping Shawn's story in the public eye. Everyone that has helped us over the last four years, there's been thousands and thousands of people that have helped us in one way or another. It's hard to even come up with words to tell you how much this has meant to us. One of the primary reasons we're here today and doing this today is for those other parents out there that do have missing children. I remember when I got a phone call when Elizabeth Smart was found. I was actually in the back of an RV going down the highway on my way to Canada to do some training with one of our canines when I received the call that she had been found, and naturally did a bunch of interviews on the cell phone. And I remember how much that raised our hopes, how much fuel that gave us to keep going. And that's one of the primary reasons that we wanted to do this today, to give some of that fuel to some of the other parents that are in this situation, to let them know that miracles do happen, good things can happen. They don't always end bad. And to just express how much that we appreciate everything that everyone has done for us. This is kind of the start of a new chapter, I guess. Shawn's home, but that definitely doesn't mean that the Shawn Hornbeck Foundation's work is done. Hopefully, we have another member of the Shawn Hornbeck foundation now that can help us look for other missing children. That's something that's not going to go away. That's something that we devoted our lives to four years ago. And just because we've recovered our own son doesn't mean that our work is done. And I don't think that work will ever be done. But once again, just we're just so thankful for everyone, for everything that's been done. We debated whether or not to bring Shawn here today. And it was pretty much left up to him. We brought him here. He's not quite ready to speak with the media yet. You know, that's going to be something that's going to come over time. And when that time is right, we'll let you all know, and we'll be able to do this again. And you'll be able to talk to the boy that's been on the forefront of everyone's mind for so long Pam.
[Nguyen:] And there again, just another look at that news conference from the family of Shawn Hornbeck, which you see right there smiling. So great to see this young man smiling in the arms of his family. You see to the right, in the orange shirt, the man who was just speaking, Craig Akers, his stepfather. And then Pam Akers at the Podium, his mother. They have been through such an ordeal in the past four years, waiting for some kind of sign as to what had happened to the little boy. Shawn was just 11 years old when he was riding a bike to a friend's house and went missing. And for the past four years, this mother right here, along with her husband, have been doing all that they can to get the word out there, to keep hope alive. And they say that's indeed why they held this press conference today, to reach out to other families, let them know that their children can be found alive just as theirs has. And so it is a great day for Shawn Hornbeck and his parents there after just an awful four years. We don't know yet what he's been through. His family has not spoken with him about the details of it, but, of course, the good news today and the most important news is that Shawn is alive and well.
[Holmes:] Yes. They said they were actually afraid to go to sleep because they didn't want to wake up and this all be a dream. Well, it's reality. And a reporter from KSDK, an affiliate there for us, Alex Fees, was actually in the room during that press conference. Alex Fees joining us on the phone now. Alex, please take us inside of that room. We're watching here, and it's pretty emotional stuff. But what was it like in that room when Shawn finally appeared, walked in that room, and everybody actually got to lay eyes on him? What was the mood like in that room?
[Alex Fees, Reporter, Ksdk:] Well, T.J., it was very quiet, first of all. And I must say there's been a lot of speculation here amongst members of the media lately. It was a bit confusing, because that young man we saw yesterday walking into the sheriff's department did not look like Shawn Hornbeck. You know what I'm saying? But now upon seeing him today, the characteristic earring that he was wearing four years ago in the first photograph is there. He's wearing an earring in the same ear. And once you see him face on, you realize this is simply an older, more mature version of that Shawn Hornbeck that disappeared four years ago. Now, the Akers saved the best for last today. I believe it was actually off camera. Craig said that at Shawn's request, they were finalizing the adoption process to have Shawn's last name changed to Akers. That is a process that began before the abduction, T.J. Also, they announced today that Shawn has not been to school for the past four years. They said that he was aware of the efforts to find him, the vigils, the anniversaries, the age-progressed photograph. They said Shawn even saw his photo on a park bench outside of a grocery store. And regarding the age-progressed photograph, Craig Akers said Shawn's only reaction was that he thought it was an insult. Now, the Akers, as you mentioned, have not yet discussed the four years with Shawn regarding what happened. They said they have not had time to, literally, in the past 15 hours. In fact, Craig said they will not if Shawn does not want to. Of course, investigators are certainly going to want to know more about that time. Now, Pam Akers, Shawn's mother, looks physically different today than she has over the course of the past four years. She looks, of course, like she had a ton of bricks lifted from her shoulders. As you saw, T.J., she sat there beaming next to her long-lost son.
[Holmes:] So tell me here as well, Alex. We saw we saw Shawn walk in. He had a grin on his face at times. He looked like a normal 15-year-old kid. Give us more about his demeanor in that room.
[Fees:] He's very quiet. He was very shy. He was very reserved. Obviously overwhelmed by this process. You know, everybody and his brother is here as far as the media is concerned. Also, a lot of townspeople, probably 50 or 60 people in the gymnasium at this early hour here in Richwoods, Missouri. And he just he greeted some people. He hugged some people. He shook some hands. He spoke to some people. But again, he just appeared very quiet and reserved and overwhelmed by everything that has happened.
[Holmes:] And I guess, Alex, this is one of the big questions. You talked about him being aware of the age-progression photos and whatnot and being aware of the story on TV. Why does anybody have any ideas right now why he wouldn't try to reach out, get away, call home, do something?
[Fees:] No, we don't. We certainly do not at this time. And it sounds like his parents don't even have an idea what that is yet. You know, there was a newspaper article here in the "St. Louis Post-Dispatch" this morning that mentioned what happened here may be consistent with the Stockholm Syndrome, where a condition in which victims cope with their situation by identifying with their captors.
[Holmes:] And Alex, tell me this. On a note from you, how long have you been there and how long have you been covering this story?
[Fees:] I've been covering this story literally, T.J., since day one. It was a Sunday, if I recall, October 6, 2002. And this is about an hour and a half west of St. Louis, where I'm a reporter. We came down here then. You know, the media and all the volunteers here. I think Craig Akers said 1,600 people turned out in, like, the first four months. And, you know, sadly, slowly but surely, that process started dropping off. But then in the four years since then, on every anniversary, Craig and Pam Akers would bring it alive again. Also, on every occasion when another child would turn up missing, they would always turn out with the Shawn Hornbeck foundation, with their search dogs and their characteristic orange vests, things of that nature, combing the countryside, looking for whoever whoever this new child is that is missing and certainly lending support to the parents.
[Holmes:] OK. Well, Alex Fees, from KDSK, thank you so much, really, for taking us inside there and letting us know what happened as we watched it. Taking us inside that press conference. Thank you so much. And we are going to continue. Expecting more at 11:00.
[Nguyen:] Yes. At 11:00, the sheriff's department is going to be speaking. The Franklin County Sheriff's Department. And we're hoping at that time to learn a little bit more about the suspect in this case, the 41-year-old Michael J. Devlin, who has been arrested and charged with one count of first-degree kidnapping. Don't know very much about this gentleman. We asked earlier about a criminal record, and the affiliate reporter that we spoke with says that he really doesn't have much of one at all. And all they know about him is that he held down two jobs, and we're hoping to hear a little bit more about this man and his involvement in these two boys and why they were held in captivity and why they were found at his apartment.
[Holmes:] And again, we're going to expect that at 11:00 Eastern Time, and we certainly will bring that to you live. So many questions. Everybody's happy with the end result, certainly, but still a lot of questions to be answered. And again, like I say actually, we need to tell you this as well, that this news conference we've been watching for the past hour or so, we're going to play it for you again at 12:30 Eastern Time. We're going to let you see this and all that emotion.
[Nguyen:] In its entirety, yes.
[Holmes:] Yes, in its entirety a little later. So please stay here with us where so much coverage on this story and so many others. Big news day. Stay with us here.