Michael J. Devlin today pleaded not guilty in Franklin County to child kidnapping and armed criminal action.
Devlin was charged in the abduction of Ben Ownby in January. Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney Robert Parks said that he anticipated that he and the authorities from other jurisdictions where Devlin has been charged would offer him a plea agreement before the case went to trail.
Besides the charges in the Ownby case in Franklin County, Devlin faces charges of armed criminal action and child kidnapping in Washington County in the abduction of Shawn Hornbeck in 2002. Both boys were found Jan. 12 at Devlin's apartment in Kirkwood.
In addition, Devlin faces 71 counts of child kidnapping, kidnapping, forcible sodomy in St. Louis County and faces federal charges on six counts of child pornography and transporting a minor across state lines.
Defense attorney Michael Kielty said that Devlin was holding up well. Kielty last spoke to Devin on Sunday to discuss his not guilty plea.
Kielty said he has not seen any of the evidence against his client but believes the state will begin providing that evidence in the next few weeks.