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Devlin may be put in protective custody

Devlin
(handout)
Devlin

By AP/KWMU

St. Louis – The state of Missouri may place Michael Devlin in protective custody as new details of Devlin's confession emerged that showed he was suicidal.

Devlin was taken Wednesday to the state prison in St. Joseph to be evaluated for eventual placement in a high-security state prison.

Devlin faces 74 life sentences after pleading guilty this week to kidnapping, sexually abusing and attempting to kill Ben Ownby and Shawn Hornbeck.

FBI documents show that Devlin thought several times about returning Shawn to his parents and then killing himself afterward.

Devlin told the FBI he had had thoughts of having sex with boys all his life but didn't act on it until he was 36 years old when he took Shawn.

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