- The Washington Times - Saturday, April 19, 2014

A 9-year-old boy who was abducted from his home in Atlanta, sang a gospel song for hours until his kidnapper snapped and set him free.

On March 31, Willie Myrick was playing outside with his pet Chihuahua when a man grabbed him and forced him into his car, police told local news outlets.

“He was cursing at me telling me to shut up and didn’t want to hear a word from me,” Willie told a local station. “He said if I told anyone, he would hurt me, like in a bad way.”

Willie, who just turned 10 this week, chose not to remain silent, but to sing a favorite gospel song “Every Praise,” the station reported.

The song begins with the words, “Every praise is to our God. Every word of worship with one accord.”

Willie continued to sing until his kidnapper, who had reportedly been driving around for almost three hours, threw him onto the street and drove away.


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The songwriter behind the gospel tune, Hezekiah Walker, flew to Atlanta this week to meet Willie after hearing his story.

Mr. Walker told local news affiliates that he believes God spoke through him to “save that boy’s life.”

There is currently a $10,000 reward for the capture of Willie’s abductor who is described as a black male in his mid-to late-20s, CBS Atlanta reported. He is said to have been wearing khaki shorts and a white, short-sleeve shirt with a Nike logo a the time of the kidnapping.

• Kellan Howell can be reached at khowell@washingtontimes.com.

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