The four West Jordan siblings are safe in a Croatian state facility; relatives say daily visits continue while courts verify custody.
WEST JORDAN, Utah — Four children missing since late November were located this week in a Croatian orphanage after their mother was arrested in Dubrovnik, relatives and officials said. The finding ends a weeks-long search but begins a formal process to return the siblings to Utah under international rules.
The case has moved from tracking flights and phone records to translating court papers and scheduling hearings. Prosecutors in Utah charged the mother, Elleshia Anne Seymour, 35, in mid-December with custodial interference tied to removing children from the state. The children — ages 11, 8, 7 and 3 — are now under Croatian social services while authorities confirm guardianship. Family members, joined by attorneys and the U.S. Embassy, are preparing filings that may include a Hague Convention petition if local verification does not quickly resolve the handover.
According to family accounts and police records, the children left the Salt Lake City area over Thanksgiving weekend. Airport footage from Nov. 29 showed the group entering the terminal before a flight through Amsterdam to Croatia on Nov. 30. When a scheduled custody exchange did not occur, relatives contacted West Jordan police, and an endangered missing advisory followed in December. Croatian authorities detained Seymour around Jan. 15–16 in Dubrovnik. “We’re just kind of in limbo waiting to get them out,” the children’s aunt, Jill Seymour, said from Croatia, where she has accompanied one of the fathers during daily visits.
Officials in Croatia told Utah reporters the siblings cannot be released until U.S. authorities verify documents and facts in the case. A written statement characterized the check as standard international cooperation meant to protect children’s rights. At the same time, a Utah attorney experienced in cross-border custody disputes noted that Croatia’s participation in the Hague Convention should aid the return but warned that certified translations and court scheduling often stretch timelines. “It requires retaining an attorney in that country who can translate the documents into Croatian and provide all the necessary information to a court,” the attorney said.
Background filings in Utah describe how the investigation began. A witness told police in early December that Seymour had recently discussed passports and leaving the country while expressing fears about “end times.” By mid-December, prosecutors filed four third-degree felony counts after the custody schedule lapsed and the children did not return. One father reported learning that the children were in a state-run center after the arrest abroad. The FBI acknowledged the international nature of the case but directed questions to local authorities in Croatia; officials in Dubrovnik did not immediately respond to inquiries about an extradition timeline or any additional charges there.
The path forward runs on two tracks. In Utah, Seymour faces the existing custodial interference counts, with the possibility of future court appearances once she is transferred. In Croatia, social services and the courts are reviewing custody orders, birth records and identification documents to clear the children’s release. Family attorneys say they are prepared to file a formal Hague petition if verification drags. One of the fathers wrote online that the family has retained local counsel, hired court-approved translators and arranged lodging near the center to maintain daily contact with the children.
Relatives described short visits in a secure setting. “They are most definitely trapped there, and they feel trapped,” Jill Seymour said, adding that staff have allowed about two hours per day with the siblings while paperwork is processed. Kendall Seymour said the children told him the facility feels restrictive, even as they are warm and fed. He said he expected the trip to last two or three days but now anticipates staying longer while the courts work through the file. The fathers maintain they did not consent to international travel and want the children returned as soon as authorities complete the review.
As of Tuesday morning, the children remained at the Croatian center and daily visits continued. The next milestone is a court decision or a formal Hague filing, which relatives hope will arrive in the coming days as translated documents reach the bench.
Author note: Last updated January 27, 2026.