OHIO — Two missing children from Canton, Ohio, were safely recovered in Reykjavik, Iceland, on January 10, 2025, following an international search led by the U.S. Marshals Service in Northern Ohio, the Canton Police Department (CPD), and the U.S. State Department.
The children, ages 8 and 9, were reported missing to CPD on October 25, 2024, after a family member alerted authorities.
According to the report, their 34-year-old mother had stopped taking her prescribed mental health medication, abandoned her apartment, and the children had stopped attending school.
CPD launched an investigation and later sought assistance from the U.S. Marshals Missing Child Unit in Cleveland, Ohio.
The search initially led investigators to Denver, Colorado, before uncovering a complex international trail.
Authorities determined that the mother and children had traveled to London, England, then to the Island of Jersey in the English Channel.
From there, they moved to a remote fishing village in Iceland before being located by Icelandic police at a hotel in Reykjavik.
Following their recovery, the children were placed in the care of Icelandic social services until a trusted family member could bring them home.
The mother was admitted to a hospital in Iceland, where she will remain until she is well enough to return to the U.S.
The successful recovery was the result of cooperation between multiple agencies, including the Canton Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Service, Interpol, the U.S. State Department, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), and law enforcement authorities in England and Iceland. NCMEC also provided financial support to reunite the children with their family in the U.S.
U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott praised the collaborative effort, stating, “The collaboration of effort in this case can’t be overstated. The ability to respond and recover these children abroad is an extremely difficult task. Our investigators did an outstanding job. We are lucky to have such strong and dedicated law enforcement partners and credit should be given to them for helping bring these children home.”
Authorities encourage anyone with information on wanted fugitives to contact the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force at 1-866-4WANTED (1-866-492-6833) or submit a web tip.
Reward money is available, and tipsters may remain anonymous.
The Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force – Cleveland Division includes multiple federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, such as the U.S. Marshals Service, Cleveland Police Department, Ohio State Highway Patrol, and several local police departments in the region.
