Kayla Unbehaun found in Asheville after being featured on Netflix's 'Unsolved Mysteries'

Joel Burgess, Asheville Citizen Times
Updated ·2 min read

ASHEVILLE - A child abducted in Illinois in 2017 has now been found safe 700 miles away in Western North Carolina, police say.

Kayla Unbehaun was 9 years old when police said her mother, Heather, abducted her in July 2017 from South Elgin, Illinois, about 45 miles northwest of Chicago. The Citizen Times does not normally name victims, but Kayla Unbehaun's name has been widely published since her kidnapping.

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Asheville Police Department officers responded to Plato's Closet at Westgate Regional Shopping Center around 7:26 p.m. on May 13 to investigate a reported kidnapping, according to an APD release.

Kayla Unbehaun as she would've looked at 11 years old (left) and 14 years old (right). She was abducted in July 2017 at just 9 years old. She was found safe in North Carolina in May 2023.
Kayla Unbehaun as she would've looked at 11 years old (left) and 14 years old (right). She was abducted in July 2017 at just 9 years old. She was found safe in North Carolina in May 2023.

"A witness believed she had recognized a woman who kidnapped a child in 2017. When officers arrived, they were able to locate and make contact with the woman and the child," the release said.

After an investigation that included contact with the South Elgin (Illinois) Police Department, officers were able to confirm the identification of Heather Unbehaun, the mother and accused kidnapper, and "a minor child in her custody," the release said.

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Unbehaun, who was wanted on an extradition warrant out of Illinois for child abduction, was taken into custody and booked into the Buncombe County Detention Facility on a $250,000 secured bond. She was not listed as a detainee in the jail as of May 16.

Officials confirmed that Unbehaun was out on bond. Her next court date is listed as July 11 in Buncombe County District Court for a hearing regarding her extradition, according to the state online court registry.

The child's abduction was one of several kidnappings of minors featured in a November 2022 episode of Netflix's "Unsolved Mysteries" series.

This story will be updated.

Joel Burgess has lived in WNC for more than 20 years, covering politics, government and other news. He's written award-winning stories on topics ranging from gerrymandering to police use of force. Got a tip? Contact Burgess at jburgess@citizentimes.com, 828-713-1095 or on Twitter @AVLreporter. Please help support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: 'Unsolved Mysteries' episode helps find Kayla Unbehaun in Asheville