Netflix launched their Unsolved Mysteries revival back in 2020, and although the episodes aren’t in as plentiful supply as the Robert Stack-hosted original series, the hope was that the Internet age’s penchant for sleuthing could still help this show do a lot of good. Episodes currently sign off with an invitation for tips at Unsolved.com, and for sure, the tips soon flowed into view. Co-creator and executive producer Terry Dunn Meurer quickly disclosed that thousands of tips soon materialized for various cases, and the show also dumped a trove of additional evidence onto Reddit to help the cause.
Granted, a lot of these tips are guaranteed to not be credible, but for the case of a missing young girl from Illinois, a cold case has been cracked. On Twitter, Netflix announced that Kayla Unbehaun was spotted in North Carolina several years after her non-custodial mother abducted her, and she will soon be on the way home to her father.
An Unsolved Mysteries viewer has closed a case!
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
— Netflix (@netflix) May 16, 2023
The Unsolved Mysteries account further revealed that Kayla’s mother, Heather, has been arrested. PEOPLE now reports that Kayla’s thrilled father will soon reunite with his 15-year-old daughter, who he hasn’t seen since age 9. The outlet also passes on his statement as made to the The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children:
“I’m overjoyed that Kayla is home safe,” Unbehaun’s father Ryan Iserka said in a statement, shared via the NCMEC organization. “I want to thank [the Elgin, Ill., police and fire departments], the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and all of the law enforcement agencies who assisted with her case. We ask for privacy as we get to know each other again and navigate this new beginning.”
Netflix is currently streaming three seasons of Unsolved Mysteries revival, with some spooky options and hopefully with more to come.
(Via Netflix on Twitter & PEOPLE)