In the United States, nearly 90% of all child abductions are committed by a parent. Many of those children are returned — but unfortunately, some are not. This episode of Unsolved Mysteries explores two stories of parental abductions.
The first is the story of Ahmed Kandil and Rebecca Downey, college sweethearts whose marriage fell apart in the face of unemployment and religious extremism. Rather than share custody of their children, Amina and Belel, with Rebecca, Ahmed kidnapped them under the guise of a weekend trip to Toronto. In the second story, Abdul Khan recalls the events leading up to his ex-wife, Rabia, disappearing without a trace with their son, Aziz. Neither Rebecca nor Abdul know where their children are today. Read on for more of their stories, as well as additional evidence that may help reunite these families.
When Ahmed Kandil and Rebecca Downey met, it seemed like a match made in heaven. She was planning to go to medical school; he was working on his MBA. Despite their cultural and religious differences — she was Christian raised in Berlin and he was Muslim from Egypt — they both seemed to share a strong middle-class work ethic and the same values.
Ahmed and Rebecca married and had two children: Amina was born in 2003 and Belel in 2006. But the marriage began to crumble when Ahmed found himself unemployed. Rebecca asked for a divorce in 2013, and the family seemed to be working out their “new normal,” with a court-ordered visitation schedule. All went well until Aug. 28, 2014, when Ahmed picked the kids up from Rebecca’s home and never returned. Rebecca hasn’t seen her children since that day, and authorities believe they’re possibly in Egypt.
After his brother was killed in a political uprising in Egypt, Ahmed Kandil became angry and more militant. Could this have played a part in his alleged decision to abduct his own children? Rebecca Downey explains how that incident affected their family.
For more photos of Amina and Belel, please visit the Unsolved Mysteries bonus material for “Abducted by a Parent.”
After their divorce, Abdul Khan and Rabia Khalid had an increasingly contentious relationship, especially when it came to custody of their son, Aziz. Abdul lived and worked in New Orleans at the time, and Rabia had moved to Atlanta to be closer to her family. Eventually, it was determined by the court that Abdul should have full custody of Aziz. Unfortunately, that day never came. On Nov. 27, 2017 — just after Thanksgiving — Aziz was abducted by his noncustodial mother. His father is desperately searching for Aziz, who’d now be 12 years old.
An interview with private investigator JT Summers. His team surveilled Rabia, her new husband and Aziz in October 2017, before Rabia abducted Aziz.
See bonus material from “Abducted by a Parent,” including additional family photos, correspondence and more.
Watch “Abducted by a Parent” here.
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In the United States, the majority of child abductions are committed by a parent. Do you recognize any of these other faces of children and their alleged abductors?
