A mother has taken her four children on a one-way journey to Europe after reportedly receiving a divine message about ‘the end times,’ leading to a widespread international search effort.
Elleshia Anne Seymour, who hails from Utah, was captured on airport security footage as she escorted her children through Salt Lake City International Airport to board a flight bound for Croatia in eastern Europe, without obtaining permission from the children’s two fathers.
The 35-year-old faces allegations of kidnapping from her ex-husband Kendall Seymour, who is the father of three of the children and shares joint custody with her. In a GoFundMe campaign aimed at aiding the search for the children and bringing them back home, he claimed that they were ‘taken overseas by their mother,’ who allegedly ‘falsified passport documents.’
Kendall detailed that his ex-wife left behind a ‘delusional message from God’ revealing her plan to be in Italy by Fo, accompanied by a list of tasks: “Shred paperwork, destroy identifying photos, throw away phone, purchase pre-paid phone.”
He was informed several days later, on December 2, by a voicemail message indicating that the children were in France, and Elleshia intended to seek permanent residency before the ‘end times.’
Elleshia has been formally charged with four counts of custodial interference, which is considered a third-degree felony in Utah. An abduction alert was also issued in the state. The FBI is collaborating with local law enforcement to facilitate the return of the children, aged three to 10, to their fathers.
Seymour expressed his intention to intensify the search for his ex-wife, as reported by ABC. “We’re hoping to get a state warrant turned into a federal warrant, turned into an INTERPOL warrant out there.”
He further stated: “Hopefully the next step is I get a phone call that she’s been found and then I can fly out and find the kids. As soon as that happens, me and my fiancé were going to drop everything and go get them.”
Family lawyer Marco Brown, speaking to ABC, noted that the mother of four is facing four felony charges, but she might avoid incarceration due to concerns about her mental health. Brown added: “What I think is more likely is they get the kids back to the United States and if they share 50-50 custody, then he (Kendall Seymour) goes and modifies the custody, so he gets the majority of it and holds the kids’ passports.”
Nearly a month after the children were taken on a one-way flight to Croatia, officials have yet to locate them. However, it is anticipated that the warrant could lead to local authorities detaining her, potentially resulting in extradition back to the United States.
Kendall Seymour has reached out to the public, seeking help to cover the costs of several transatlantic flights and local hotel accommodations, stating: “Any funds received in excess of flight costs will go towards therapy needed because of this traumatic experience.”
“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.”
You can find the father’s GoFundMe here.