A Utah mother, Elleshia Anne Seymour, 35, has been charged after authorities say she took her four children out of state and flew to Europe because she believed the "end times" were approaching. Prosecutors allege Seymour committed four counts of custodial interference and removing a child from the state.
Allegations and Timeline
Court records obtained by ABC4 show that officers from the West Jordan Police Department performed a welfare check at Seymour's home on Dec. 2 and found the residence unlocked and empty. Investigators say she did not answer calls from a coworker or a friend after Nov. 29, the date the alleged abduction took place.
Surveillance footage reviewed by ABC4 reportedly shows Seymour and the four children boarding a one-way international flight at Salt Lake City International Airport on Nov. 29. The itinerary included a layover in Amsterdam before arriving in Croatia. Seymour's vehicle was later found parked in the airport lot.
GoFundMeKendall Seymour with his kids
Children and Missing Advisory
The Utah Department of Public Safety issued an endangered and missing advisory for the children on Dec. 10. ABC4 previously named the children as: 11-year-old Landon Seymour, 8-year-old Levi Parker Seymour, 7-year-old Hazel Raye Seymour and 3-year-old Jacob Kurt Brady. Officials reported it is unclear what the children were last wearing or their exact last-seen location.
Evidence and Statements
Investigators report finding a notebook in Seymour's home containing notes about disposing of documents and phones and instructions to take passports. Prosecutors say Seymour left a voicemail for one of the fathers in which she claimed to be in France with the children and said she was seeking a permanent residence because she feared an imminent apocalypse.
Authorities say both children's fathers were unaware of Seymour's plans and that she has reportedly violated a court-ordered custody agreement. Local police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are involved in the ongoing investigation.
gofundmeKendall Seymour (left)
Family Response and Fundraising
Kendall Seymour, father of three of the children, launched a GoFundMe that has raised more than $12,000 to help fly family members to retrieve the children and to cover potential hotel and therapy expenses. On the fundraising page, Kendall wrote that he was advised to pick up the children "wherever they are found" to reduce trauma and that he only learned they were missing on Dec. 2.
"My genuine hope is that the kids are found quickly, and we can pick them up while they still think they're on a vacation," Kendall wrote on GoFundMe, according to media reports.
PEOPLE and local outlets also reported Kendall saying he learned of concerning social media posts reportedly made by Seymour only recently and that there had been no obvious signs of such beliefs during their marriage or divorce.
Investigation Status
The West Jordan Police Department and the FBI are actively investigating. People familiar with media reporting include ABC4, KSL-TV and PEOPLE. Authorities have cautioned that the information is based on ongoing investigations and that the details are alleged.
Sources: ABC4 Utah, Utah Department of Public Safety, PEOPLE, KSL-TV.
