A woman accused of taking her daughter from an Illinois suburb six years ago has turned herself in, ending a case that gained national attention. Heather Unbehaun, the mother of 15-year-old Kayla Unbehaun, is now in custody at the Kane County Adult Justice Center in Illinois. She faces abduction charges and is being held without bail.
This happened just days after Kayla was found safe in North Carolina and reunited with her father. Unbehaun was arrested on a fugitive warrant from Illinois, facing charges of kidnapping and child abduction. She was initially held on a $250,000 bond but later released after posting bail.
The case started on July 4, 2017, when Kayla, then 9 years old, went missing. She had attended a parade in South Elgin, a suburb of Chicago, with her mother. After the parade, Unbehaun told Kayla’s father, Ryan Iserka, that they were going on a camping trip. But they never returned, leading to a felony warrant for Unbehaun’s arrest.
The case remained unsolved for years. Then, a breakthrough came when a sharp-eyed individual in Asheville recognized Kayla from a Netflix episode of “Unsolved Mysteries” about parental abductions. The person reported it to the authorities, which led to Kayla’s rescue and Unbehaun’s arrest.
The custody battle between Unbehaun and Iserka had been tense. In early 2017, a court granted Iserka full custody, allowing Unbehaun only unsupervised visits. Court records show that Iserka had control over medical decisions due to concerns about Unbehaun’s interference with Kayla’s healthcare.
John Vojta, Iserka’s attorney, expressed concern over Unbehaun’s release, given that she had been on the run for six years. Meanwhile, Iserka and Kayla reunited and traveled back to Illinois together. In a statement, Iserka thanked law enforcement and the public for their support in bringing Kayla home.
As legal proceedings continue, Unbehaun is set to appear in court on Wednesday at the Kane County Judicial Center. The case remains in the public eye, with many awaiting the next developments.