Kayla Unbehaun picture (L) in a photo from around the time she disappeared and (R) in an age-progressed photo of Kayla at approximately 14 (NCMEC), (C) Heather Unbehaun (Asheville PD)
You just never know when your true crime documentary watching may save a life in the real world.
A North Carolina store owner who watched “Unsolved Mysteries” on Netflix has been credited with recognizing a young Illinois girl missing since 2017 and calling police in Asheville about what they saw at the shopping center over the weekend.
Kayla Unbehaun was 9 years old when she was last seen in the summer of 2017. Non-custodial mother Heather Unbehaun’s alleged abduction of Kayla from South Elgin, Illinois, was noticed the day after the Fourth of July that year, when the girl’s father Ryan Iserka went to the suspect’s home to pick up his daughter. Ryan had full custody of Kayla at the time.
Thanks to a watchful store owner states away, the now-teenage girl can be reunited with her dad. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children shared an “overjoyed” statement from Kayla’s father on the discovery of his daughter safe in North Carolina.
“I’m overjoyed that Kayla is home safe. I want to thank @ElginPDFD, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and all of the law enforcement agencies who assisted with her case. We ask for privacy as we get to know each other again and navigate this new beginning,” said Ryan.
More Law&Crime coverage: Prosecutors seek death penalty against plastic surgeon accused of murdering missing lawyer
While Kayla Unbehaun is currently in protective custody, Heather Unbehaun faces a child abduction charge and remains held on a $250,000 bond in North Carolina as her extradition to Illinois looms, WSOC reported.
Reports from years ago speculated that the suspect may have been near Athens, Georgia, as she was said to have Atlanta-area ties. Asheville, N.C., is only three hours away from Athens.
Law&Crime Productions’ “Vanished” also closely examined the Kayla Unbehaun case, featuring interviews with members of the girl’s family, home videos, and more.
“Kayla, I love you so much, and I want nothing more than to have you back in my life and have many years of good times together and be a part of everyone’s life who loves you,” her father said on the documentary.
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
