The mystery behind Kayla Unbehaun‘s disappearance has been solved.
Nearly six years after she was allegedly abducted by her mother Heather Unbehaun, the Illinois native, now 15, was found hundreds of miles away from her hometown. On May 13, a shop owner in Asheville, N.C., contacted authorities after recognizing the missing girl and Heather, according to the South Elgin Police Department in Illinois, who had been handling the case.
Kayla was placed in protective custody and Heather, 40, was arrested after investigators confirmed the duo’s identities, police said.
“We are overjoyed to report that the girl is in good condition and good spirit since being reunited with her family,” South Elgin Police said in a statement on May 16. In addition to thanking other law enforcement agencies, the department recognized “all the citizens across the united States who provided tips to us” on the case, which was documented in a November 2022 episode of the Netflix series Unsolved Mysteries.