A mother from Utah, reportedly fixated on doomsday theories, was detained in Croatia for allegedly abducting her four young children and leaving them in an orphanage. This incident has triggered a complex international legal issue as efforts to return the children get underway.
They arrested 35-year-old Elesia Ann Seymour in Dubrovnik on January 16. According to officials from the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office, they are currently discussing extradition options with federal authorities, although no specific timeline has been established.
Seymour faces charges in Utah for preventing custody, specifically for removing the children without their father’s permission and failing to comply with established visitation rules, all of which are third-degree felonies. Authorities noted that she took the kids out of the country without consent and did not return them as mandated.
It’s reported that on November 29, Seymour took a one-way flight from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam, then on to Croatia with her children. Investigators indicate that she missed a court-ordered deadline to return the children, which both fathers claim they never agreed to.
Kendall Seymour, the father of three of the children, mentioned that the family only realized the kids were missing several days after they were already taken across the ocean. In a GoFundMe post, he remarked, “On November 30th, my ex-wife took all three of my children and a fourth child from another father. We didn’t find out they were missing until December 2.”
A no-bail arrest warrant was issued for Elesia in December when prosecutors expressed that she could pose a flight risk and potentially endanger the children, according to court documents.
After the disappearance, officers found her apartment unlocked, with her car at the airport and a notebook detailing plans to dispose of her phone and important papers. Kendall also claimed authorities found what appeared to be a forged passport document for the children and a note in which she suggested they felt led by a divine message to go to Italy by Christmas.
The children ended up in a government-run orphanage in Croatia after their mother was found. Kendall has since traveled to Europe with hopes of bringing them home.
In a GoFundMe update from January 25, he explained that he’s striving to secure their release from government care and that they remain “held in a state-run orphanage.” His efforts have included hiring a local lawyer experienced in international child abduction cases and submitting a request under the Hague Convention.
Kendall mentioned that the initial fundraising target was surpassed mainly due to travel expenses, and ongoing costs remain unpredictable. He also pointed out that another American child, not disclosed publicly, was also located in the same orphanage, complicating matters further.
