Utah Mother Detained in Croatia Following Alleged Custody Order Violation
A 35-year-old woman from Utah, who reportedly expressed beliefs about impending apocalyptic events, has been arrested in Croatia on suspicion of violating children's rights. Elleshia Seymour is accused of taking her four young children to Europe in late November, contravening a custody order issued in Salt Lake County.
Legal Charges and International Custody Situation
Ms Seymour was charged in December with four counts of custodial interference for removing the children from Utah without legal entitlement to custody. Croatian authorities confirmed her arrest earlier this month, and she remains in custody while her extradition is considered. The children, aged 11, 8, 7, and 3, are currently in foster care in Croatia as legal proceedings continue.
Her ex-husband, Kendall Seymour, who is the father of the three eldest children and holds power of attorney for the youngest, is presently in Croatia working to repatriate them. He has been visiting the children while completing necessary documentation. The Salt Lake County District Attorney's office, led by Sam Gill, is collaborating with federal partners to facilitate Ms Seymour's potential extradition back to the United States.
Apocalyptic Beliefs and Digital Footprint
According to her ex-husband and court documents, Ms Seymour had publicly shared videos on TikTok last year describing vivid apocalyptic dreams and urging preparedness. In one video, she recounted a dream about an electromagnetic pulse attack causing widespread technological failure and resource scarcity, interpreting it as a divine warning about a "cold winter." These beliefs align with certain Christian interpretations of biblical end-times prophecies, though her specific actions appear to have crossed legal boundaries.
Investigation and Discovery Timeline
The sequence of events began when friends and co-workers reported being unable to contact Ms Seymour in early December. Police visited her West Jordan apartment on December 2, finding it unlocked and empty. A notebook discovered at the scene outlined plans to destroy documents, discard phones, and retrieve passports. Her vehicle was later located at Salt Lake City International Airport, and surveillance footage revealed the family entering the airport on November 29 and boarding a one-way flight to Europe.
The FBI received tips suggesting the family's presence in Croatia. The breakthrough came when one of the children reportedly informed a member of their host family in Croatia to search their name online, leading to Ms Seymour's arrest on January 16. The host family either alerted authorities or persuaded her to surrender. The American family hosting them initially appeared unaware they were subjects of an international search.
Court documents also note that a former boyfriend informed police that Ms Seymour had recently discussed obtaining passports and leaving the country, expressing anxieties about biblical events and the 'end times.' Ms Seymour was divorced from Kendall Seymour in 2021 and from the father of her youngest child in 2024. She is currently unavailable for comment while in Croatian custody, and Utah court records do not list legal representation for her.
