Shraman Mitra
Elgin, Illinois, bore witness to a strange missing person case when 9-year-old Kayla Unbehaun went missing from her mother’s home. Kayla’s father, Ryan Iskerka, mentioned that his daughter was visiting her mother, Heather Unbehaun, when both vanished into thin air, as also explored in ‘Unsolved Mysteries’ Season 3 episode 9. Although Ryan tried to investigate independently, none of Heather’s acquaintances seemed to know where she was, forcing the father to approach authorities.
Kayla Unbehaun Went Missing at the Age of 9 in 2017
Kayla Unbehaun was just nine years old at the time of her disappearance, and she resided in Elgin, Illinois, with her father, Ryan Iskerka. People who knew Kayla described her as a lively and cheerful person who loved to attend school and hang out with her friends. A brilliant student with good grades, Kayla was always quite close to her father and would often accompany him to various events or spend a quiet evening playing board games together.
Moreover, like kids her age, Kayla loved to dress up and had a penchant for trendy jewelry and hippie-style clothing, much like what her mother, Heather Unbehaun, preferred. The latter and Ryan were in a happy relationship before Kayla’s birth and even looked forward to marriage. However, he mentioned that Heather decided to break off their relationship and move away about a couple of weeks after their daughter’s birth.
During the separation, Healthier and Ryan were involved in a lengthy custody battle, following which the two were awarded shared custody of Kayla. Although Kayla’s mother wasn’t happy with the decision, her ex-boyfriend mentioned that he could never have predicted the course of events that changed his life forever. In July 2017, Kayla was visiting her mother in Wheaton, Illinois, and the two had planned to go on a camping trip.
As the 9-year-old was supposed to return to her father on July 5, 2017, Ryan drove to his ex-girlfriend’s mother’s house to fetch Kayla. However, upon reaching, he found the place locked with no one inside. Worried and anxious, he began asking around and learned that Heather had left the area with Kayla. However, neighbors had no idea where they went and mentioned they were not in touch with her. With no other way out, Ryan thus immediately approached the police and reported the incident, wholeheartedly believing his ex-partner took his little girl.
Kayla Unbehaun Was Found in 2023
While there was no news about Kayla or her whereabouts in the initial few years, Ryan was confident that he would get to meet his daughter again someday and officials remained determined to bring a swift conclusion to the case. Once the police completely took over in July 2017, they canvassed the area around Heather’s house, hoping to come across a crucial lead or a witness that would jumpstart the investigation. They even searched a few local places where she might have taken Kayla and interviewed several of Heather’s acquaintances but to no avail.
Eventually, the police received a tip about Heather and Kayle being supposedly spotted at a fair in Wheaton, but it did not lead to anything. Authorities also discovered that Heather had deactivated all her social media profiles and was careful not to leave a footprint online, which could be traced back to her. Subsequently, a couple of months after Kayla disappeared, a judge granted Ryan complete custody of his daughter. Sadly, apart from a few other supposed sightings in Athens, Georgia, there has been no update on the case, although the police and the U.S. Marshals are working on the case together for a swift conclusion.
It actually wasn’t until May 2023 that officials finally caught a break in this case after someone reported they’d seen Kayla at a shopping mall in Asheville, North Carolina. According to records, this tipster had positively recognized her thanks to having recently seen her on the rebooted series of ‘Unsolved Mysteries’ on Netflix. An arrest warrant for Heather had already been issued, so as soon as she realized her play was finally unraveled, she turned herself in at the local Kane County Station. Kayla thus recovered too before ultimately being professionally examined and happily reunited with her father at the age of 15.
Heather Unbehaun is Now Awaiting Trial
On July 29, 2017, authorities concluded their initial investigation and issued a felony arrest warrant for Heather, where they charged her with a single count of kidnapping. The warrant turned her into a fugitive, and several deputy marshals have been on the lookout for her and Kayla. Meanwhile, authorities traced her connections and discovered that she has several links to people living in Atlanta, Georgia.
When questioned, Ryan Iskerka mentioned that he and Heather had stayed in Athens, Georgia, for a while, and his ex-girlfriend always had a fascination with the city. Ryan further stated that Heather had always wanted to live a private life in Athens, and he believes that is where she took Kayla. The authorities even received quite a few reported spottings in the Athens, Georgia, area, although none of the leads have proved fruitful. In other words, no one ever expected Kayla and Heather to be in North Carolina.
After Heather turned herself in, she posted a $250,000 bail to be released from custody before later appearing in person in bond court on a child abduction charge. That’s where the judge set his bond for $10,000, resulting in her posting another $1,000 to get out of jail with a GPS tracking monitor. From what we can tell, Heather has since stayed relatively free thanks to her bail, but she is expected to face trial for the counts against her relatively soon. If convicted, she faces at least a minimum of 10 years behind bars.
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