Utah Siblings Who Vanished on Thanksgiving Found in European Orphanage, as Police Arrest Mom Who Left Behind 'To-Do List'

Utah Siblings Who Vanished on Thanksgiving Found in European Orphanage, as Police Arrest Mom Who Left Behind 'To-Do List'

Elleshia Anne Seymour, 35, is facing four counts of custodial interference and removing a child from the state

Escher Walcott, Samira Asma-Sadeque

Tue, January 27, 2026 at 6:37 PM UTC

4 min read

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Elleshia Seymour's children with Kendall Seymour (left); and Elleshia Seymour. GoFundMe (2) — Elleshia Seymour's children with Kendall Seymour (left); and Elleshia Seymour.
GoFundMe (2)

NEED TO KNOW

Four children who were allegedly abducted by their mother from Utah have been located at an orphanage in Croatia, according to their family
Landon Seymour, 11, Levi Parker Seymour, 8, Hazel Raye Seymour, 7, and 3-year-old Jacob Kurt Brady disappeared following a Thanksgiving visit with their mother Elleshia Anne Seymour
Elleshia, 35, was arrested in the Croatian city of Dubrovnik, local authorities say

The four Utah children who disappeared after spending Thanksgiving with their mother have been located at an orphanage in Croatia, and the mom has been arrested.

Elleshia Anne Seymour, 35, was already facing charges in Utah after she allegedly abducted her four children and fled on a one-way flight to Europe on Nov. 29, 2025, PEOPLE previously reported.

Seymour's ex-husband Kendall Seymour identified the children in a GoFundMe as Landon Seymour, 11, Levi Parker Seymour, 8, Hazel Raye Seymour, 7, and 3-year-old Jacob Kurt Brady.

On Sunday, Jan. 25, Kendall shared an update on the fundraiser that the children are “trapped” at a state-run orphanage. Kendall is the father to three of the four children.

Elleshia was arrested in Dubrovnik, about 400 miles from the Croatian capital of Zagreb, the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed to DNEVNIK, a leading local news agency, on Monday, Jan. 26.

Another local outlet, 24 Sata, also reported on the arrest, citing a statement from the ministry, although the ministry did not name the woman in its statement.

Elleshia was arrested in connection with a criminal case involving violation of the rights of a child, the outlets reported.

PEOPLE has reached out to the ministry as well as the U.S. embassy in Croatia for confirmation.

A mom is accused of abducting her children, fearing that the "end times" were coming
gofundme

The children's alleged abduction came to light following a welfare check on Dec. 2, when West Jordan Police Department arrived at Elleshia's residence and found it unoccupied and unlocked, ABC4 Utah previously reported, citing court records.

Elleshia, who shares custody with the fathers of her children, allegedly feared it was the “end of times” and had concerns of "biblical events," a former boyfriend previously told KSL Utah.

“I didn't really know anything about her end-of-times beliefs until after this all happened,” ex-husband Kendall further told the outlet. “It didn't come up in our marriage or after our divorce.”

In the GoFundMe, Kendall alleged that Elleshia "left behind a note dictating a delusional message from God promising her she would be in Italy by Christmas, and a to-do list that mentioned 'shred paperwork, destroy identifying photos, throw away phone, purchase pre-paid phone.'"

Elleshia Seymour with three of her kids and ex-husband Kendall Seymour. gofundme — Elleshia Seymour with three of her kids and ex-husband Kendall Seymour.
gofundme

It was not immediately clear if the children have been removed from the orphanage.

Despite Kendall's online pleas to return the children back to the U.S., the Croatian Institute for Social Work has called for a thorough review of the case, 24 Sata, DNEVNIK and Teleskop reported.

"Given the international element of the case, it is essential that the competent authorities of the United States of America conduct a review of all relevant facts and circumstances before making a decision to hand over the children to the father," the institute said in a statement.

PEOPLE has reached out to the institute for comments.

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In Utah, Elleshia is facing four counts of custodial interference, local authorities said, per KSL and ABC4 Utah.

While the case began with the West Jordan Police, it was transferred to the FBI. Both the FBI and West Jordan police declined to comment on the investigation.

The case is now being passed on to Croatian police, local officials further told KSL. It wasn't immediately clear if the FBI is still investigating.

Other entities, such as Croatia's foreign affairs office, the U.S. consulate in Croatia, and the Utah Department of Public Safety, did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comments.

Kendall is seeking further donations on GoFundMe to help him cover travel costs while continuing to stay in Croatia as he tries to release the children.

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

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