A dad’s heartbreaking letter to his daughter after she went missing has resurfaced after she was finally found six years following her disappearance.
Kayla Unbehaun was just nine years old when she went missing on 4 July, 2017, after father Ryan Iskerka - who had full custody of her - went to pick her up from her non-custodial mother's house and discovered she was not there.
In the years following her vanishing, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) broadcasted an alert online and posted age-progression photos to show how Kayla may look in present times.
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After over half a decade, the now-15-year-old has now finally been found after a store owner reportedly recognised her from Netflix’s Unsolved Mysteries series.
Heather Unbehaun, Kayla's mother, was arrested at the weekend in Asheville, North Carolina, on a fugitive charge, according to an arrest report.
A court clerk said she was released on bond Tuesday (16 May), with her next court date scheduled for 11 July.
Following the incredible news, Iskerka said: "I’m overjoyed that Kayla is home safe. I want to thank @ElginPDFD, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and all of the law enforcement agencies who assisted with her case.
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"We ask for privacy as we get to know each other again and navigate this new beginning."
In the wake of his daughter being found, a heartbreaking letter that he once wrote to her has resurfaced, detailing how her disappearance was ‘the most difficult trial’ he had ever been through.
Writing to his daughter in an open letter posted to the the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's blog back in 2020, the devastated dad said: "Dear Kayla,
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"Hello and happy birthday! I can't physically give you a gift for your birthday so I hope this letter finds you. I hope you are safe and that you have seen many happy times since you've been away. I hope you enjoyed your birthday and I want you to know that I love you so much and so does the rest of your family. We all miss you so much and think about you every day. I want you to know that your absence has by far been the most difficult trial of my life.
"When I found out you were gone my heart was shattered into a million pieces. Luckily I have the love and support of God and our family so I have managed to make it. But there is nothing I want more than to have you back in my life. We all want you back in our lives. I think about you all day, every day. I pray for you and your mother every day hoping that you are safe and that you will return into my life soon. There are also so many other people praying for you."
Iskerka continued: "I am not mad at you at all and there is nothing to be afraid of about coming back. I want to hold you in my arms, kiss your cheeks and see those beautiful eyes of yours again. At your home here you will always have a warm bed to sleep in, a place set for you at the dinner table and a spot next to me on the couch to hang out.
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"I realize you are growing and changing and you probably look different like in the age progression photograph, which is hard for my mind to accept. You are probably too old to play the games we used to play but I promise we will find new and fun things to do together. I miss you sweetie and I will never give up on you.
"Happy birthday."
He signed off the letter: "Forever and always with love, Dada."
Topics: US News
Jess Hardiman