Thinking about missing children may indeed elicit some very strong emotions. Kayla Unbehaun’s mother allegedly abducted her from Illinois when she was just nine years old. Finally, after six arduous years and a cameo on Netflix’s “Unsolved Mysteries,” Kayla has been discovered alive and well in North Carolina.
Missing Children: The Enlightenment Moment
On May 13, the now-15-year-old was in Asheville’s Plato’s Closet shopping with her mother, Heather Unbehaun. That’s when a perceptive store clerk saw them and called the cops. After being taken into custody, Heather was eventually freed after providing a $250,000 bond, as reported by WLOS-TV.
Family Reunited
Kayla is said to be doing well after being reunited with her father, Ryan Iserka, in Illinois. Iserka sent a statement to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children saying, “I’m overjoyed that Kayla is home safe.” He expressed his appreciation to all law enforcement agencies engaged in the investigation, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, and the South Elgin Police Department. He also expressed gratitude to the “Bring Kayla Home” Facebook page’s followers for their encouragement and awareness-raising efforts. “As we navigate this new beginning and get to know each other again, we ask for privacy,” Iserka continued.
An Abduction of a Mother
Her mother was allowed weekly visiting privileges, but her father had exclusive custody at the time of Kayla’s abduction. Iserka went to pick up Kayla from her mother’s home in Wheaton, Illinois on July 5, 2017, following a court-ordered visit, but she didn’t find either of them there. Heather was last spotted loading her car, and her social media and phone accounts were deleted, according to a GoFundMe website.
The Investigation & Court Cases
On July 29, 2017, a felony abduction warrant was issued for Heather. The case of Kayla has received extensive coverage in newspapers and other media outlets since she vanished. To aid in her recognition, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) released an age-progression photo in 2020. In an effort to keep the tale in the public glare, her father also did many interviews.
A picture of Kayla and her mother was used in a 2022 “Unsolved Mysteries” episode about family kidnappings on Netflix. On July 11, Heather Unbehaun is anticipated to appear in court in North Carolina and be extradited to Illinois.
The Complete Background of Missing Children
Every year, hundreds of thousands of children are reported missing, according to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. There are many people who are short runaways, abandoned, or taken in by family members, but only 115 people a year fall prey to the archetypal kind of abduction. This kind of kidnapping include being abducted by a stranger or acquaintance, being detained far from one’s residence, and having the goal of being held captive indefinitely. This tale is similar to other well-known kidnappings that have joyful, but convoluted, endings.
Jaycee Dugard
At the age of eleven, Jaycee Lee Dugard was abducted in 1991 and held hostage for eighteen years by a sex offender on parole named Phillip Garrido. After Garrido took his two daughters—whom he fathered with Dugard—to a college campus in 2009, she was saved. Nancy was given 36 years to life in jail, while Garrido was given 431 years. In “A Stolen Life,” her memoir, Dugard described her ordeal in detail.
Elizabeth A. Smart
At the age of 14, Elizabeth Smart was kidnapped from her Salt Lake City home in 2002 and held at knifepoint. Before being identified and saved, she was detained by Brian David Mitchell and his wife, Wanda Barzee, for nine months. Barzee was given a 15-year sentence; Mitchell is currently serving a life term. Since then, Smart has worked as a television analyst and activist.
Shawn Hornbeck
near 2002, Shawn Hornbeck was last saw cycling near Richwoods, Missouri. He was found four years later when looking for another missing youngster, and it was then revealed that Michael Devlin had been holding him hostage. Later on, Hornbeck established a support group for kidnapped children. It’s amazing how missing kids have chosen to lend a hand to others.
Carlina White
In 1987, Carlina White was abducted as a baby from a hospital in Manhattan. When she recognized her infant photos on the NCMEC website in 2010, she realized who she really was. Her mother, Ann Pettway, received a 12-year jail sentence.
Beers, Katie
When Katie Beers was ten years old, John Esposito abducted her and imprisoned her in a dungeon in 1993. Her story attracted national notice and exposed years of past mistreatment. Beers, who is currently an advocate, chronicled her healing process in her book “Buried Memories.”
The Soul of Man
Like the stories of Dugard, Smart, Hornbeck, White, and Beers, Kayla Unbehaun’s narrative serves as a reminder of the human spirit’s tenacity and the value of never giving up hope. After a six-year struggle, her safe homecoming signifies the start of a new chapter for her and her family.
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