After nearly six years apart, a missing Illinois girl featured on Netflix’s Unsolved Mysteries has finally been reunited with her father following a remarkable tip from a viewer. Fifteen‑year‑old Kayla Unbehaun, who disappeared in 2017 at age 9, was discovered in Asheville, North Carolina, shopping in a store, alive and well, on May 13.
On July 5, 2017, Kayla’s father, Ryan Iserka, arrived at her mother Heather Unbehaun’s home in Wheaton, Illinois, as per a court-issued custody schedule. When neither Kayla nor Heather appeared, concern quickly escalated. Heather was granted visitation—but not custody—yet no one heard from the pair afterward. Their abrupt vanishing triggered a kidnapping warrant for Heather later that month. Despite extensive efforts by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) and law enforcement, leads dried up. In 2020, NCMEC released an age-progressed image of Kayla to assist in recognition.
Kayla’s story reached a wider audience when it was featured in a 2022 episode of Netflix’s Unsolved Mysteries, focusing on children abducted by parents. The broadcast included stills of Kayla and Heather alongside age-progressed images to aid public recognition. More than a year later, the strategy paid off. An employee at a Plato’s Closet resale store in Asheville spotted Kayla and her mother on May 13—prompted by visuals from the show—and contacted authorities.
Asheville Police arrived promptly and confirmed that the 15-year-old in the store was indeed Kayla. Heather, now 40, was arrested at the scene and held on a $250,000 bond; she has since posted bail and is awaiting extradition back to Illinois to face kidnapping charges. Kayla was placed into the protective custody of North Carolina’s Division of Social Services. The teenager was reported to be in good health and emotional condition, and was soon reunited with her father, Ryan, in Illinois. Authorities described the reunion as emotional and long awaited.
Experts caution that reunions like this, involving parental abduction, are emotionally complex. NCMEC spokeswoman Rebecca Steinbach remarked that while the moment is joyful, “this type of case is probably the most complicated, especially when it comes to the emotional side of what’s been going on… one’s parent is still your parent”. Kayla and her father are entering what Steinbach called “a long journey of healing,” adapting to life after years apart
Heather Unbehaun is scheduled for an initial hearing in North Carolina on July 11 to address extradition to Illinois and formal kidnapping charges. Kayla will remain with her father under close supervision as they begin rebuilding their relationship.
Law enforcement views this case as a success story of collaborative efforts—between agencies, media, and the public—even as they prepare to continue their pursuit of justice.
