A father never gave up on finding his daughter after she was abducted. Even after six years of constant searching, the dad never lost hope of one day finding his little girl. He prayed for her safety every day, begging she would one day be returned to him.
Every parent dreads the thought of losing their child. Finding a beloved little one missing strikes fear into the heart of almost every mother and father out there. For one dad, this fear came true, and he spent the next six years of his life praying for his daughter to return home safely.
Kayla Unbehaun went missing in 2017, and her dad kept on hoping he would one day get to see his little girl again. Although he had no way of communicating with her or knowing whether she was safe and happy, he occasionally posted on social media to express how much he missed his daughter.
On Thursday, January 5, 2023, Ryan Iskerka wrote a long birthday message to his missing girl, congratulating her on turning 15. In the note, he explained how much he missed Kayla and wrote, “I think of you every day hoping and praying that you are safe, happy, and that you will come back into my life soon.”
After Heather tried to subvert Ryan in court, it was ruled that Ryan would have sole custody over their daughter.
With Kayla missing for six years, Ryan wondered whether she remembered how much he loved her and all the happy times they spent together as a family. Although the dad’s hope threatened to give in with every passing day, he kept on praying for Kayla’s return, writing, “And I’ve loved you through all of this.”
At the time of Kayla’s disappearance, the family was based in South Elgin, Illinois. Ryan doubted he would ever see his daughter again but kept hoping. He opened up about the abduction, revealing it was Kayla’s non-custodial mother who took her from him without permission and without letting him know.
How Kayla Went Missing
Ryan shared the story of how his ex-wife took his daughter without his permission. Initially, he and Kayla’s mother, Heather Unbehaun, were happily married, although problems arose in their relationship. Shortly after they welcomed Kayla, they decided to go their separate ways, which led to a lengthy custody battle. They were finally both awarded shared custody of Kayla.
After six years of looking for his daughter, Ryan finally received some good news.
Ryan revealed Heather wanted to move to Athens, Georgia, with Kayla, and although he wouldn’t stand in her way, he wanted to be sure he would still get to see his daughter. They were in the process of setting up a visitation schedule when Heather packed their things and moved without telling Ryan.
When Ryan found out about the move while talking to Kayla on the phone, he decided to file for child support and visitation rights, which didn’t sit well with Heather. The dad commented that Heather saw his actions as “a declaration of war.” They went to court, and Heather did everything she could to delay the visitation schedule.
During this legal battle, Ryan barely got to see his daughter. He was only able to talk to Kayla for a few hours at a time on Skype and only saw her in person when Heather was back in town over the holidays. The time apart took a toll on Ryan’s relationship with his daughter, and he noticed she would often be distant.
After Heather tried to subvert Ryan in court, it was ruled that Ryan would have sole custody over their daughter. Kayla moved in with Ryan, and in July, Heather picked Kayla up for a camping trip. When the time came for Ryan to pick his daughter up on July 5, he had heard nothing from Heather.
Ryan arrived at Heather’s father’s house, where he was supposed to pick Kayla up, but the place was locked and empty. On July 29, 2017, a felony arrest warrant for Heather was released. Ryan wrote to his daughter after the abduction, “I will never give up on you.”
Getting Kayla Back
After six years of looking for his daughter, Ryan finally received some good news. Kayla was spotted in a shop in Asheville, North Carolina, in May 2023, by a store clerk who recognized her. She contacted the police soon after seeing her in the store, and the authorities responded.
The store employee wanted to remain anonymous and asked for the name of the store where she works to also be kept out of the papers. She did comment on why she decided to call the police, saying simply, “It was the right thing to do.”
Following the successful search for Kayla, Lt. Diana Loveland from Asheville encouraged other people to report similar sightings in the future:
“It is unusual, but it’s good that when someone does suspect that they recognize someone, no matter how old the story might be, that they are not afraid to give us a call so we can come to investigate.”
The Asheville Police soon apprehended Heather, who was sent to the Buncombe County Detention Facility in North Carolina, where she was kept on a $250,000 bond.
Luckily, Kayla’s case received a large amount of attention over the years. Ryan and the rest of his family made a Facebook group, “Bring Kayla Home,” which was dedicated to sharing news and spreading awareness about the abduction. Kayla’s disappearance was also featured on Netflix’s “Unsolved Mysteries,” which was where the store clerk recognized Kayla from.
Ryan thanked everyone who kept the case alive and spread awareness. The dad wrote, “I’m overjoyed that Kayla is home safe. I want to thank the South Elgin Police Department, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and all of the law enforcement agencies who assisted with her case.”
Six years apart has taken a toll on Ryan’s relationship with his daughter. In his statement, he asked for privacy while he slowly rebuilt his relationship with Kayla. But the dedicated dad won’t allow his daughter to slip through his fingers again. He wrote in 2012, “There is nothing I want more than to have you back in my life.” And now she is.