Suspect faces inquiry over other children

ST. LOUIS — Investigators on Friday announced a task force of federal, state and local investigators to examine whether the man accused of abducting two boys may have snatched other children who are still missing.

Michael Devlin is charged with kidnapping two boys found Jan. 12 in his suburban St. Louis apartment.

The search for Ben Ownby, who vanished Jan. 8, led police to Devlin's home, where they found the 13-year-old and Shawn Hornbeck, who had been missing for more than four years.

(While The Associated Press and The Seattle Times have policies not to identify alleged victims of sexual abuse in most cases, Shawn's case has been widely publicized and his name is well-known. The family also has maintained a high public profile, conducting several interviews — including one in which the sexual-abuse issue came up.)

"There are the possibilities that there may be other kids involved," Franklin County Sheriff Gary Toelke said.

The task force will include the FBI, state police, sheriff's departments in three counties and police in the towns of St. Charles and Kirkwood.

Authorities are looking into the cases of two boys and one girl who all disappeared from towns on the outskirts of St. Louis dating back to 1988.

One detective called Devlin the "most viable lead" in another case, that of 11-year-old Charles "Arlin" Henderson, who vanished in 1991.

Shawn's parents appeared Friday on several morning television shows. On NBC's "Today" show, the boy's stepfather, Craig Akers, said Shawn was delighted to find his room virtually the same as when he had last seen it.