A father never lost up on finding his daughter after she was abducted. Even after six years of assiduously seeking, the father never lost hope that he would one day locate his daughter. He begged for her return to him every day and prayed for her safety.
Every parent fears the thought of losing their child. When a parent finds out that their beloved child is gone, almost all of them get terrified. For the next six years of his life, this father’s nightmare came true as he longed for his daughter to return home safely.
Her father, Kayla Unbehaun, never lost faith that he would see his young child again after she disappeared in 2017. Even though he had no method of contacting his daughter or learning if she was safe and happy, he would occasionally post on social media to express how much he missed her.
On Thursday, January 5, 2023, Ryan Iskerka sent his missing girl a long birthday greeting wishing her a happy 15th birthday. He expressed how much he missed Kayla in the email, saying, “I think of you every day hoping and praying that you are safe, happy, and that you will come back into my life soon.”
Heather tried to remove Ryan from the family court, but he was granted exclusive custody of their daughter.
Ryan wondered if Kayla would ever remember how much he loved her and all of their amazing family memories when she disappeared six years ago. Even though it looked like his hope for Kayla’s homecoming was dwindling with every day that passed, the father never stopped praying, saying, “And I’ve loved you through all of this.”
The family lived in South Elgin, Illinois, at the time of Kayla’s kidnapping. Ryan doubted he would ever see his daughter again, but he kept hoping. He revealed the specifics of the kidnapping, claiming that Kayla’s non-custodial mother had abducted her from him without his knowledge or approval.
How Kayla Vanished
Ryan related the story of how his ex-wife had removed his kid without getting his permission. He and Kayla’s mother, Heather Unbehaun, were happy in their marriage at first, despite their problems. Soon after introducing Kayla into the family, they made the decision to split up, which led to a drawn-out custody battle. Finally, they were both given partial custody of Kayla.
Six years after Ryan had been looking for his daughter, he received some excellent news.
Ryan revealed that he wanted to make sure he would still see his daughter even though he would not prevent Heather from moving to Athens, Georgia, with Kayla. As they worked out a visiting schedule, Heather packed up everything they owned and relocated without telling Ryan.
When Ryan learned about the relocation over the phone from Kayla and applied for child support and visiting rights, Heather became irate. The father said he thought Heather had issued “a declaration of war” with his actions. When they appeared in court, Heather made every effort to reschedule their visiting arrangement.
Ryan spent very little time with his daughter while the case was pending. He only had the opportunity to communicate with Kayla over Skype for a few hours at a time; he only had the opportunity to see her in person during Heather’s Christmas visit. During their time apart, Ryan’s connection with his daughter deteriorated, and he saw that she would often behave distant.
Heather tried to remove Ryan from the family court, but he was granted exclusive custody of their daughter. In July, Kayla was picked up by Heather for a camping trip following her move in with Ryan. By the time Ryan arrived on July 5 to take up his kid, Heather had not gotten back to him.
Ryan was supposed to pick up Kayla at Heather’s father’s house, but when he arrived, it was locked and empty. On July 29, 2017, Heather’s felony arrest warrant was made available. Ryan promised his daughter in a letter that he would never quit up on her after the kidnapping.
Regaining Kayla
Six years after Ryan had been looking for his daughter, he received some excellent news. Kayla was identified by a store employee in Asheville, North Carolina, in May 2023. She contacted the police as soon as she spotted her at the store, and they arrived.
In order to preserve her privacy, the employee asked that neither her name nor the name of the business where she works be mentioned in the records. She only said, “It was the right thing to do,” in response to the question of why she decided to call the police.
Following the successful conclusion of the search for Kayla, Lt. Diana Loveland of Asheville encouraged individuals to report any future sightings of her:
“Even though it’s rare, it’s good that people, no matter how old the story may be, don’t hesitate to call us so we can come investigate when they think they recognize someone.”
After being briefly detained by the Asheville Police, Heather was arrested and given a $250,000 bail to be held at the Buncombe County Detention Facility in North Carolina.
Thankfully, Kayla’s issue received a lot of attention in the course of time. Ryan, together with his family, started a Facebook page called “Bring Kayla Home” in an effort to spread the word about Kayla’s abduction. The store clerk was familiar with Kayla from the Netflix series “Unsolved Mysteries,” which also highlighted her disappearance.
Ryan conveyed his appreciation to everyone who continued the case and increased awareness. “Kayla’s safe return home makes me very happy,” the father continued. I would want to thank the South Elgin Police Department, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, and any other law enforcement agencies that assisted in her case.
After six years apart, Ryan’s connection with his daughter has deteriorated. In his statement, he asked to remain anonymous while he progressively repaired his relationship with Kayla. But this loving father would not allow his daughter to be left out of his command again. In a letter from 2012, he stated, “There is nothing I want more than to have you back in my life.” She is now, too.
