10.05.2007 3:50 pm
What’s your reaction to the news of a Devlin plea deal?
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
UPDATE: Devlin has pleaded guilty in Franklin County.
It appears that the case against Michael Devlin, connected to the kidnapping of Shawn Hornbeck and Ben Ownby, is about to end.
Michael Devlin is scheduled to âdispose” of all his state and federal child sex and kidnapping charges, St. Louis County prosecutors said today.
Devlin will appear in court in Franklin County Monday âfor disposition of his case,” then go to Washington County Tuesday, St. Louis County Wednesday and on to federal court, prosecutors said in a press release issued this afternoon.
What’s your reaction to the news?
Kurt is the director of social media for the Post-Dispatch, where he has worked since August 2002. He's been a journalist since 1982, covering municipal government, courts, education and two hurricanes as a reporter before becoming an editor. 
If this means taxpayer’s money will be saved because there will not be a long drawn out trial, I say get it over with. However, he still should be in jail with the most ferocious criminals in the system. See how he likes it!
A fitting ending (that is, a quiet one) to a story that has been blown up in the media all too much.
Why would he challenge this case? The evidence was overwhelmingly against him…..he will probably get 25 to life in a federal prison.
(See Kurt, I knew you would find inspiration from my Law and Order SVU observation.)
Thank goodness the boys will not be forced to testify, they (especially Shaun) have been through enough already. Hopefully they are able to continue to move forward and live happy lives.
We all knew this guy would get it in the end. Now that he’ll be doing life, I’m sure he’ll be getting in “in the end” every day. Just goes to show that sick twisted crimes like this doesn’t pay.
Good riddance.
I agree with the others. We don’t need a daily front page ‘tale of the trial’. He’s pleading guilty, getting life. Bye Bye.
That is great news!!!!!!!Now the boys will be spared a trial. I was however going to campaign to put the needle in his arm and adminster the lethal injection!!!!!
about time. now we don’t have to hear or read about it everyday. i and others i know don’t think shawn is as innocent as others might think. time to get on with other news. it was getting old. now that it is about over i wonder how many more stories we wil still be hearing on shawn’s family getting another donated trip or car or whatever. this whole thing has been way to unreal.
Why in the world would he plead guilty? Evidence has nothing to do with it…all sorts of people go to trial with the same damning evidence in the hopes they can come up with some scheme to get off. It makes ZERO sense to me. What did he have to lose by forcing a trial?
Think about it. The prosecutors have wanted to avoid a trial from the git-go and they just had to have something to offer this Devlin guy to avoid the trial.
My guess is that in turn for avoiding a public display on the messy Hornbeck situation, they’ve offered Devlin some sort of incarceration where he is guaranteed safety from other inmates and probably some other benefits, perhaps which prison he will be sent to, more privileges, things like that.
I am absolutely sure there was something more than “well, you got the evidence against me so I’ll plead guilty”. Please.