Missing 9-Year-Old Girl Featured On ‘Unsolved Mysteries’ Has Been Found
Note: This story is being republished and originally made headlines in May 2023.
A long-running missing child case that gripped the nation has reached a dramatic turning point. Heather Unbehaun, the Illinois woman accused of abducting her daughter six years ago, has surrendered to authorities, ending a mystery that spanned multiple states and years of unanswered questions.
Unbehaun, now in custody at the Kane County Adult Justice Center in Illinois, faces charges of child abduction and kidnapping. She is being held without bail following her extradition from North Carolina, where she was recently located. The case reignited public attention when her daughter, Kayla Unbehaun — now 15 years old — was found safe and reunited with her custodial father, bringing long-awaited relief to loved ones and investigators.
The mother’s arrest came just days after the discovery of Kayla in Asheville, North Carolina. Law enforcement confirmed that Unbehaun had been living under the radar for years before being recognized by a local resident who had seen a feature on Netflix’s Unsolved Mysteries about parental abductions. Acting swiftly, the individual alerted authorities, leading to the teen’s recovery and Unbehaun’s subsequent arrest on a fugitive warrant from Illinois.
The story traces back to July 4, 2017, when Kayla, then nine, vanished after attending a parade in the Chicago suburb of South Elgin. Unbehaun had informed Kayla’s father, Ryan Iserka, that she was taking their daughter on a brief camping trip — but neither returned. A felony warrant was soon issued, sparking a nationwide search that lasted six years.
As Unbehaun awaits trial, the case has renewed discussions about custody disputes, parental abductions, and the critical role public awareness plays in resolving long-term missing child cases.