Girl disappeared in 2017 – now she has been recognized and found in a Netflix series Four killed in attack on US convoy in Nigeria

On Saturday, Kayla, missing since 2017, was found in Asheville (North Carolina) – the streaming service Netflix played a crucial role. The find was made possible by the attention of a second-hand chain employee, who recognized the 15-year-old girl from the popular Netflix series Unsolved Mysteries and immediately called the police. This ends an intensive six-year search for the missing child.

Kayla, who was nine at the time, was kidnapped by her mother after she lost custody. Kayla lived with her father, Ryan Iskerka, in South Elgin, Illinois. When the mother failed to return her daughter over the weekend as agreed, Kayla was reported missing. However, the authorities’ persistent investigations remained unsuccessful for years and the mother and daughter were able to evade the search.

Six year mystery solved

The defining moment came Saturday, when the mother and daughter walked into a thrift store in Asheville. An observant staffer recognized the two from the media, where Kayla’s story received a lot of attention. Her abduction was most notably featured in an episode of the Netflix series Unsolved Mysteries, which investigates multiple parental child abduction cases.

The police immediately responded to the tip and were eventually able to arrest Kayla. The six-year mystery was solved. The mother was arrested and is now on bail. She is about to be extradited to Illinois, where she is charged with child abduction.

“We ask for privacy”

In a statement, the father thanked local police and fire departments, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) and all other law enforcement agencies that assisted in the search for his daughter: “I am thrilled that Kayla is returning home safely.” He hopes that his family can now find each other in peace again: “We ask for privacy as we get to know each other again and manage this new beginning.”

This case is particularly remarkable not only because of the long time the mother was able to remain under the radar of the authorities, the local police chief told American media. Typically, hijackers leave digital traces that are relatively easy to trace. But she managed to delete all social media profiles and hide her digital footprints. This makes the case all the more unique and poses major challenges for the researchers.

Kayla is reunited with her father and is back in Illinois. The mother’s case will be heard in North Carolina on July 11, 2023. (lion)