Viswa Vanapalli
A bitter custody battle between the parents of Abdul Aziz Khan ended with the child’s sudden disappearance in November 2017. Since then, Aziz’s father, Abdul Khan, has continued looking for answers and has done everything he could to discover what happened to his beloved son. Netflix’s ‘Unsolved Mysteries: Abducted by a Parent’ features Aziz’s story as one of two cases highlighted on the show.
What Happened to Aziz Khan?
Abdul Aziz Khan was born on November 13, 2010, to Abdul Khan and Rabia Khalid. The couple met while in college in Alabama and soon began dating. A few years later, they decided to get married, and Aziz soon became the most crucial part of their lives. However, over time, Abdul and Rabia began to have a lot of fights and disagreements and eventually decided to separate in April 2014.
The two had a custody agreement, with Abdul living in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Rabia residing in Atlanta, Georgia. But after their divorce was finalized sometime in 2015, Abdul and Rabia engaged in a bitter custody battle that was to end with the former receiving primary custody. They were supposed to appear in court on November 27, 2017, but Rabia and Aziz never showed, and the authorities soon began an extensive search for the then-7-year-old.
Where is Aziz Khan Now?
At the time of the incident, Abdul and Rabia worked in the healthcare industry, and the latter had been living in Atlanta after getting a job there and staying closer to her family. Abdul had agreed to the move and made things work despite the distance. He initially stated that their relationship was amicable, and they decided on having shared custody. However, it was reported that Rabia began limiting Aziz’s visits with his father at some point. She would claim the kid was unwell or would schedule soccer games during his time with Abdul.
Once the divorce was finalized, Abdul pushed for a custody evaluation, resulting in an intense custody battle between the two parents. Around this period, Rabia married Elliot Bourgeois, a friend from college. During the court battle, Rabia accused Abdul and his family of being abusive, resulting in a lengthy investigation during which Abdul was not allowed to see Aziz.
However, about 18 months later, the allegations turned out to be false. It was also reported that a court-appointed psychologist felt Rabia was a danger to the young child and opined that Abdul should receive primary custody. On November 28, 2017, Abdul and Rabia were to be in court for the final ruling, but Rabia never showed up. A worried Abdul contacted his son’s school only to learn that Aziz had not been seen since a week before their court appearance.
The investigation revealed that Rabia and Elliot had planned everything in advance. They sold their cars in Atlanta about a week before the court date. The US Marshals learned that the two had closed their bank accounts, shut down their cellphones, and stopped using social media. Deputy US Marshal Brian Fair said, “They did not show up at work one day, just out of the blue. They fell off the map.”
In the years that followed, the authorities continued to investigate but did not find any further clues regarding where Rabia, Elliot, and Aziz might be. On the show, the possibility of them living under a new identity was considered. It was also reported that they were probably getting help from someone. Rabia was charged with felony kidnapping in January 2020, and Aziz’s paternal family has been relentless in their pursuit of him.
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