Devlin waives arraignment in St. Louis County

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Michael Devlin has waived arraignment in St. Louis County, pleading not guilty to 71 charges related to the kidnapping and abuse of two eastern Missouri boys in a case that drew international attention, his attorney said Tuesday.

Devlin was scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday on charges of forcible sodomy and kidnapping in the abductions of Ben Ownby and Shawn Hornbeck. His attorney, Ethan Corlija, field a motion to waive the formal hearing, during which the charges would have been read to Devlin. Circuit Court Judge Maura McShane approved the motion Tuesday.

Devlin has been held in St. Louis County for a month since his arraignment was originally delayed in August. He is expected to soon be transferred back to Franklin County where he was held since his arrest in January to face charges in the kidnapping of Ben Ownby.

Corlija said he and partner Michael Kielty have used Devlin's time in St. Louis County to meet repeatedly with their client, reviewing the massive amount of evidence state and federal authorities have amassed in the case.

The majority of charges against Devlin are filed in St. Louis County, where authorities say he held Shawn for more than four years after kidnapping him in 2002, and held Ben for four days in January. Shawn was 11 at the time of his abduction in Washington County; Ben was 13.

Ben disappeared in January just minutes after stepping of his school bus in rural Franklin County. Four days later, a tip led to Devlin's cramped apartment in Kirkwood, Mo. where both boys were found.

Devlin has pleaded not guilty to kidnapping and attempted murder charges in Washington County and kidnapping charges in Franklin County.

Corlija said he would not speculate on whether his client would accept a plea deal from prosecutors, or go to trial in the three state jurisdictions as well as in federal court.

"We're always receptive to a plea deal, but there has been nothing on the radar in terms of negotiation" with prosecutors, he said.

Devlin's next hearing is scheduled for Oct. 18 in Franklin County.

While it is The Associated Press' policy not to identify alleged victims of sexual abuse in most cases, the story of Shawn and Ben has been widely publicized and their names are now well-known. Also, their families have gone public, conducting several media interviews.