Four Utah children who were reported missing late last year after allegedly being taken overseas by their mother have been located in an orphanage in Croatia, according to their family. Their mother, Elleshia Anne Seymour, is now in custody abroad as legal efforts intensify to bring the children home.
The case began unfolding in late November 2025, when Seymour, 35, was seen on airport surveillance footage traveling with her four children, ages 11, 8, 7, and 3. Investigators later determined that the group boarded a one-way flight that passed through Amsterdam before ultimately ending in Croatia. Authorities believe the final destination was intentionally obscured when Seymour and the children did not board their scheduled connecting flight.
An endangered missing alert was issued on Dec. 10, 2025, after family members reported they had lost contact and feared the children had been unlawfully removed from the country. Utah prosecutors subsequently charged Seymour with four counts of third-degree felony custodial interference, alleging she violated an existing custody agreement.
According to charging documents, Seymour told the children’s fathers she believed “the end times” were approaching and expressed concerns tied to biblical prophecy. Investigators concluded she had no intention of returning the children to the United States.
In a recent update posted to a GoFundMe account created by the family, relatives confirmed that the children were located at an orphanage in Croatia. The update also detailed the mounting legal and logistical hurdles now facing the family as they navigate an international custody case.
Kenny Seymour, the children’s father, said he traveled to Dubrovnik earlier this month after learning his ex-wife was being detained by Croatian authorities. He has spent more than a week in the country attempting to secure the release of his three biological children, along with a fourth child who has a different father.
The situation is complicated by international law and differing parental rights. One child’s biological father is reportedly unable to take custody but has given permission for the other children’s family members to regain care. Even so, officials say the difference in parentage has added legal complexity to an already delicate case.
Family members explained that the process requires hiring Croatian attorneys who specialize in international child abduction cases, filing applications under the Hague Convention, and securing court-approved translators. Custody documents from Utah must be amended due to a minor clerical error, then translated and formally submitted to a Croatian judge before any ruling can be made.
Only after those steps are completed could a court order allow the children to return home. In the meantime, multiple law enforcement agencies and government bodies in both countries remain involved.
What Kenny Seymour initially believed would be a short, two- or three-day trip has turned into an open-ended stay overseas. With legal fees, travel costs, and lodging expenses continuing to rise, he launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover the growing financial burden.
As the case moves forward, the family says their focus remains on ensuring the children’s safe return and navigating a process that has proven far more complex—and costly—than they ever anticipated.
