The lady who was suspected of kidnapping her daughter from a suburban area of Illinois six years ago has unexpectedly come forward and turned herself in, putting a dramatic climax to a case that garnered widespread media coverage. Heather Unbehaun, the mother of 15-year-old Kayla Unbehaun, is now in detention at the Kane County Adult Justice Center in Illinois, facing kidnapping charges without the option of bail.
Not too many days have passed since Kayla was discovered safe in North Carolina and reunited with her father, who is her custodian. A fugitive warrant from Illinois was used to apprehend Unbehaun on Saturday in North Carolina, where she was found, specifically on allegations of kidnapping and child abduction. As stated by Samantha Booth, a spokesman for the Asheville Police Department, Unbehaun was eventually freed on Tuesday morning after posting bail, after being initially detained on a substantial $250,000 bond.
The case dates back to July 4, 2017, when Kayla, then 9 years old, was purportedly taken by Unbehaun after attending a parade in South Elgin, a Chicago suburb. After the parade, Unbehaun told Ryan Iserka, Kayla’s custodial father, that they were heading camping, which was when things took a terrible turn. Sadly, Unbehaun and Kayla never showed up again, which resulted in a felony warrant for Unbehaun’s arrest on abduction charges. The case made significant progress when a watchful citizen in Asheville identified Kayla from a Netflix original series called “Unsolved Mysteries” concerning kidnappings of parents. This person quickly notified the authorities, which led to Kayla’s whereabouts and Unbehaun’s subsequent arrest.
Unbehaun and Iserka’s legal history reveals a turbulent custody dispute. Early in2017, Iserka was given complete custody of Kayla, but Unbehaun was only allowed unsupervised “parenting time” visits. Court records revealed that the judge had previously given Iserka complete control over medical choices because Unbehaun was allegedly interfering with Kayla’s treatment, raising serious concerns about the girl’s wellbeing.
Iserka’s lawyer, John Vojta, voiced his worries about Unbehaun’s bond release, citing her six-year fugitive status. In the meantime, Kayla and Iserka had reconciled and traveled back to Illinois together. Iserka congratulated the law enforcement, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, and the supporters on the ‘Bring Kayla Home’ Facebook page in a statement for their part in ensuring his daughter’s safe return.
Unbehaun’s next court date is set for Wednesday morning in the Kane County Judicial Center, as the legal proceedings continue. The public’s interest is still held by this case’s surprising turns and turns.
