A father never gave up on finding his daughter after she was taken from him. Even after six long years of searching, he never lost hope that one day, he would see his little girl again. He prayed every day for her safety, dreaming of the day she would be returned to him.
Every parent’s worst nightmare is losing their child, and for one father, this nightmare became a reality. When his daughter went missing, he spent the next six years of his life holding on to hope, praying that she would come back home.
In 2017, Kayla Unbehaun disappeared, and her dad, Ryan Iskerka, was left with nothing but hope and memories. He missed her every single day. Even though he had no way to talk to her or know if she was okay, he often posted on social media, sharing how much he missed his daughter.
On January 5, 2023, Ryan wrote a heartfelt birthday message to Kayla, who was turning 15. In his message, he said, “I think of you every day, hoping and praying that you are safe, happy, and that you will come back into my life soon.”
Ryan had been given sole custody of Kayla after her mother, Heather Unbehaun, tried to keep him out of the picture. Even though Kayla had been missing for six years, Ryan never stopped believing that she remembered how much he loved her and the happy moments they had shared as a family. He continued to pray for her return, writing, “And I’ve loved you through all of this.”
At the time Kayla went missing, the family lived in South Elgin, Illinois. Ryan feared he might never see his daughter again, but he couldn’t let go of the hope that he would. He knew that Kayla’s mother had taken her without permission and without telling him where they were going.
Ryan shared the painful story of how his ex-wife took their daughter without his consent. They had once been happily married, but things changed, and they decided to separate. This led to a long custody battle, which ended with both of them sharing custody of Kayla.
Heather wanted to move to Athens, Georgia, with Kayla. While Ryan didn’t want to stand in her way, he wanted to make sure he could still see his daughter regularly. They were in the middle of setting up a visitation schedule when Heather suddenly packed up and moved, without saying a word to Ryan.
Ryan discovered the move during a phone call with Kayla, and that’s when he decided to file for child support and visitation rights. Heather saw this as “a declaration of war,” and their legal battle grew even more intense. Heather did everything she could to delay setting up a visitation schedule, making it harder for Ryan to see his daughter.
During this tough time, Ryan barely got to see Kayla. Their contact was limited to a few hours on Skype, and in-person visits were rare, only happening when Heather returned to town for the holidays. Ryan could feel the distance growing between them, and he noticed that Kayla seemed more and more distant each time they talked.
Eventually, after Heather tried to keep Ryan from seeing Kayla, the court awarded him sole custody of their daughter. Kayla moved in with Ryan, and for a while, it seemed like things were finally looking up. But then, in July, Heather took Kayla on a camping trip. When Ryan went to pick Kayla up on July 5, there was no sign of her.
Heather had disappeared with their daughter. On July 29, 2017, a felony arrest warrant was issued for Heather. Ryan wrote to his daughter, “I will never give up on you.”
After six long years of searching, Ryan finally received the news he had been praying for. In May 2023, Kayla was spotted in a store in Asheville, North Carolina, by a clerk who recognized her. The clerk immediately contacted the police, who quickly responded.
The store employee, who wished to remain anonymous, said, “It was the right thing to do.”
Following Kayla’s discovery, Lt. Diana Loveland from Asheville encouraged others to report any similar sightings in the future, saying, “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.”
Soon after, Asheville Police found Heather and took her into custody. She was held at the Buncombe County Detention Facility in North Carolina on a $250,000 bond.
Over the years, Kayla’s case had gained a lot of attention. Ryan and his family created a Facebook group called “Bring Kayla Home,” where they shared updates and raised awareness about her abduction. Kayla’s story was even featured on Netflix’s “Unsolved Mysteries,” which was where the store clerk had recognized her from.
Ryan was overwhelmed with gratitude for everyone who kept Kayla’s case alive. He 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.”
The six years of separation had taken a toll on Ryan’s relationship with Kayla. In his statement, he asked for privacy as he worked to rebuild his relationship with her. Determined to never lose his daughter again, he reflected on his journey, saying, “There is nothing I want more than to have you back in my life.” And now, finally, she is.
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