Missing girl found three years later thanks to Netflix
Kayla Unbehaun has been found safe and is back in her father's arms.
It's a story that has captured the hearts of many across the world.
In 2017, a young girl went missing. After years of searching, hope seemed to have been lost.
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However, in an incredible twist of fate, a store owner who had been watching a Netflix series recognised the missing girl from the show.
Kayla Unbehaun, who went missing in 2017, was reunited with her family after a store owner in America recognised her from the Netflix series, 'Unsolved Mysteries’.
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) said Kayla was abducted by her mother, Heather Unbehaun, from South Elgin in Illinois on 5 July 2017.
An Unsolved Mysteries viewer has closed a case!
— Netflix (@netflix) May 16, 2023
A store owner in North Carolina recognized Kayla Unbehaun — who was abducted in 2017 by her non-custodial mother — from the roll call in Volume 3, Episode 9. Kayla, now 15, is expected to return to her family in Illinois. pic.twitter.com/q8mTegq6xN
Kayla was only nine years old when she was abducted by her non-custodial mother, Heather Unbehaun.
Kayla’s father, Ryan, was overjoyed with the fact that her daughter had been found.
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"I’m overjoyed that Kayla is home safe. I want to thank the South Elgin Police Department, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and all of the law enforcement agencies who assisted with her case", says Ryan.
It seems almost impossible that Kayla was recognised from the series, but it's a reminder that sometimes, hope and miracles can be found in the most unexpected of places.
Kayla's reunion with her family is a heartwarming reminder that no matter how dire a situation may seem, there is always hope and that sometimes, the most unlikely of events can bring people back together.
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Main image attribution: National Center for Missing & Exploited Children/Twitter