Kayla Unbehaun, Who Vanished at 9, Was Found after Dad Prayed Every Day for 6 Years to Find Her Alive

Heather Unbehaun, who was at the center of a widely publicized child abduction case, has voluntarily surrendered to authorities after six years. Unbehaun was accused of abducting her daughter, Kayla, from South Elgin, Illinois, in 2017. She is now being held without bail at the Kane County Adult Justice Center in Illinois, facing charges of child abduction.

Days before Unbehaun’s surrender, Kayla was discovered safe in North Carolina and reunited with her father, Ryan Iserka, who had custodial rights. Unbehaun was arrested in North Carolina based on a fugitive warrant from Illinois on charges of kidnapping and child abduction. Initially, she was held on a $250,000 bond but was released after posting bail earlier this week, according to the Asheville Police Department.

The abduction took place on July 4, 2017, when Heather and Kayla left a parade in South Elgin for a supposed camping trip. They never returned, prompting a felony warrant for Heather’s arrest. The case gained significant attention after a breakthrough came when someone recognized Kayla from an episode of Netflix’s Unsolved Mysteries and informed authorities, leading to her safe recovery.

Ryan Iserka thanked law enforcement and supporters for reuniting him with Kayla. Heather Unbehaun’s next court appearance is scheduled for Wednesday morning at the Kane County Judicial Center.