Note: We are republishing this story, which originally made headlines in May 2023.
In a dramatic development, Heather Unbehaun—the woman accused of abducting her daughter from an Illinois suburb six years ago—has turned herself in. She is now being held at the Kane County Adult Justice Center in Illinois, facing kidnapping and child abduction charges without bail.
The update comes just days after her daughter, 15-year-old Kayla Unbehaun, was found safe in North Carolina and reunited with her custodial father, Ryan Iserka. Unbehaun was initially arrested in North Carolina on a fugitive warrant from Illinois and briefly held on a $250,000 bond before posting bail, according to Asheville police.
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Kayla was reported missing on July 4, 2017, after attending a parade in South Elgin, Illinois. Unbehaun told Iserka they were going on a camping trip but never returned, prompting authorities to issue a felony kidnapping warrant.The case broke open when a person in Asheville recognized Kayla from an episode of Netflix’s Unsolved Mysteries and contacted police, leading to her recovery.
Court records show Iserka had been granted full custody earlier in 2017, while Unbehaun had limited visitation rights. A judge had also given Iserka sole authority over medical decisions due to concerns about interference. Iserka expressed gratitude to law enforcement, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, and supporters of the “Bring Kayla Home” campaign. Unbehaun is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday at the Kane County Judicial Center.
