Kayla Unbehaun, 15, was just 9 years old when she went missing in 2017 while in the care of her non-custodial mother, Heather Unbehaun.
Kayla’s father, Ryan Iserka, told CNN affiliate WBBM that he was granted full custody of his daughter in early 2017, with Unbehaun allowed supervised visits. However, when he went to pick up his daughter on July 5, he realized that she and her mother had not returned from a camping trip, WBBM reported the following year.
A non-profit center, which aids families in finding American children abducted by relatives or strangers or who run away, noted that a felony warrant for kidnapping was issued for Unbehaun on July 28, 2017. As per the organization, the number of reports of missing children filed with the FBI in 2022, with possible duplicates, was nearly 360,000.
Since Kayla went missing, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children shared an image online of her from the time she was nine as well as an age-progression photo. Every now and then, the media published articles about Kayla in hopes of finding her.
Among the rest, she was featured in Netflix’s reboot of Unsolved Mysteries, and it was this series that led to her rescue.
After watching a recent episode of the series, a store owner recognized Kayla and contacted the police. She and her mother were arrested, and Kayla, now 15, was taken into protective custody.
Iserka connected with his daughter in North Carolina on Sunday, and they drove back to Illinois together, said John Vojta, an attorney for Kayla’s custodial father.
“I’m overjoyed that Kayla is home safe. I want to thank the South Elgin Police Department, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and all of the law enforcement agencies who assisted with her case. I also want to thank all of the followers on the “Bring Kayla Home” Facebook page, who helped keep her story alive and were instrumental in spreading awareness. We ask for privacy as we get to know each other again and navigate this new beginning,” Kayla’s father said in a statement.
Unbehaun faces a charge of child abduction, which is a Class 4 felony. She is currently being held on a $250,000 bond and is awaiting extradition to Illinois.
Kayla Unbehaun, now 15, was just 9 years old when she went missing in 2017 while under the care of her non-custodial mother, Heather Unbehaun. Her disappearance triggered a years-long search that recently came to a surprising end.
At the time of her abduction, Kayla’s father, Ryan Iserka, had full custody of her, with Heather allowed only supervised visits. On July 5, 2017, Iserka went to pick Kayla up after a camping trip with her mother, only to discover that they hadn’t returned. A felony warrant for kidnapping was issued for Heather Unbehaun later that month, and Kayla’s case remained open, her whereabouts unknown for nearly six years.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children worked tirelessly to keep Kayla’s case in the public eye, sharing images of her as a child and an age-progression photo showing what she might look like in her teens. The case even gained exposure through Netflix’s reboot of Unsolved Mysteries, a popular true crime series, which played a pivotal role in the breakthrough.
In a remarkable turn of events, a store owner who had watched the show recognized Kayla and called the authorities. The police arrested Heather Unbehaun, and Kayla was placed into protective custody. After being missing for six years, she was reunited with her father, who drove her back home to Illinois.
Kayla’s father, Ryan Iserka, expressed his joy in a statement: “I’m overjoyed that Kayla is home safe. I want to thank the South Elgin Police Department, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, and all law enforcement agencies who assisted with her case. I also want to thank all the followers of the ‘Bring Kayla Home’ Facebook page, who kept her story alive and helped spread awareness. We ask for privacy as we reconnect and navigate this new beginning.”
Heather Unbehaun now faces charges of child abduction, a Class 4 felony, and is being held on a $250,000 bond while awaiting extradition to Illinois.
This heartwarming reunion serves as a reminder of the power of persistence, public awareness, and the dedication of those working to bring missing children back home.