Note: we are republishing this story which originally made the news in 2024.
Kayla’s sudden disappearance at the age of 9 broke her dad’s heart and turned his life upside down. Today, at the age of 15 and against all odds, the missing girl was found, and her story gave us goosebumps.
Kayla was gone overnight.
In 2017, Kayla was taken away by her noncustodial mother, Heather Unbehaun.
In an interview two years after her disappearance, Kayla’s devastated father, Ryan, noted that the mom ’’was to have every other weekend’’ with his daughter.
Ryan recalled that Heather ’’had her that weekend before Fourth of July and Fourth of July, I think, fell on a Tuesday. And that was also her holiday.’’ So, Ryan suggested extending Kayla’s stay with her mom who would keep her Monday through Tuesday, and then he would pick her up on Wednesday.
When Ryan arrived on Wednesday to take back his daughter, he was told by the Unbehaun family that the mother and daughter didn’t return from their camping trip.
She’s back safe and sound.
An individual identified Kayla at a shopping center and the teenager was brought back home to her father, six years after she went missing. The mother, who is 40, is now held by the police.
The beaming father shared that he is ’’overjoyed’’ that his daughter ’’is home safe.’’ He also thanked the Bring Kayla Home Facebook page followers for keeping their story alive.
Finally, the dad noted ’’We ask for privacy as we get to know each other again and navigate this new beginning.’’