Four American children taken overseas by their Utah “doomsday mom” are finally on their way back to the United States after an international manhunt, a foreign arrest, and months of legal chaos that left the siblings stranded far from home.
The doomsday mom, Elleshia Anne Seymour, 35, triggered global alarm in December when her ex-husband, Kendall Seymour, discovered she had secretly fled the country with their children — Landon, 11, Levi, eight, Hazel, seven, and Jacob, three — allegedly to escape what she believed were the coming “end times.” Authorities say the parenting by the doomsday mom became consumed by apocalyptic beliefs, convincing herself that civilization was on the brink of collapse and that fleeing the country was the only way to protect the children.
Both Kendall Seymour and Jacob’s biological father later confirmed that the doomsday mom, Seymour did not have permission to take the children overseas. They said they were completely unaware of her plans and only learned something was wrong two days after she was spotted leading the children through Salt Lake City International Airport on November 30.
Utah children who were abducted by doomsday mom, abandoned at Croatian orphanage return home with dad https://t.co/zdXok5Y7NK pic.twitter.com/2qwvXVp0Ru
— New York Post (@nypost) February 4, 2026
The disappearance sparked an international search that ultimately led authorities to Croatia, where Seymour was arrested and remains in custody on suspicion of violating children’s rights. Croatian officials placed the four children into temporary care, leaving them in legal limbo at a children’s group home and orphanage in the coastal city of Dubrovnik while the investigation unfolded.
Before her arrest, Seymour reportedly brought the children to live with another woman, Lovie McVeigh, and McVeigh’s 13-year-old son. Sources say McVeigh later realized the family was at the center of an international manhunt, a revelation that helped authorities locate the children and intervene.
After weeks of coordination between international law enforcement and child welfare agencies, Croatian Social Services concluded their investigation and cleared the children to be released into Kendall Seymour’s custody. Officials returned the children’s passports and formally authorized Kendall and his fiancée, Heather, to collect them from the group home.
On Sunday, Kendall announced the breakthrough in an emotional update. “WE ARE TAKING THE KIDS HOME!” he wrote, marking the end of a nightmare that had gripped the family for months.
Utah father rescues his four children from Croatian orphanage after mom took them out of US over doomsday fear. pic.twitter.com/C63O59nPT2
— Stall (@Stallupdate) February 4, 2026
The decision included all four children — including Jacob, Seymour’s youngest child from a previous marriage — after Kendall was granted power of attorney to ensure the siblings could return to the United States together.
Throughout the ordeal, Kendall relied heavily on public support. Nearly 930 people donated more than $57,000 to an online fundraiser he set up to cover travel and legal costs. In a message to donors, Kendall expressed deep gratitude for the overwhelming support.
“Thank you so much to everyone who has helped us locate and fight for these kids,” he wrote. He said there was no way the family could have navigated the international legal battle without the backing of supporters, adding that he does not know where they — or the children — would be without the help of family, friends, and strangers who stepped in.
Kendall also shared that he and Heather purchased much-needed supplies for the orphanage in Croatia, based on what the children told them was lacking. He said the gesture was meant as a small thank-you to the caregivers who looked after the children during an incredibly difficult period.
“We hope to find other ways to give back,” he wrote, explaining that the staff treated their children with compassion and that they want to help improve conditions for the other children who remain there.
Meanwhile, Elleshia Seymour remains behind bars in Croatia as U.S. authorities move forward with extradition efforts. The Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office, led by Sam Gill, is working with federal officials to bring her back to the United States, where she faces four counts of custodial interference.
Officials say the case underscores the dangers posed when extreme belief systems escalate into real-world actions involving children. Investigators concluded the children were exposed to prolonged instability, isolation, and fear driven by their mother’s apocalyptic worldview.
As the siblings prepare to reunite permanently with their father, arrangements are being made for counseling, education, and medical support to help them recover from months of upheaval.
For Kendall Seymour, the outcome is what matters most. “They’re coming home,” he said. “All four of them.”
The return of the children closes a harrowing chapter shaped by obsession and secrecy — and offers four young lives a chance to reclaim a childhood nearly lost to their doomsday mom’s belief that the end of the world was near.
