Family Abductions Featured on Netflix’s “Unsolved Mysteries”
A brand-new episode in the Netflix series, “Unsolved Mysteries,” features two of NCMEC’s family abduction cases that need your help.
Family abductions are the second most common type of missing child case we see at NCMEC. Last year, more than 1,300 children were abducted by a non-custodial parent.
The “Volume 3” episode, “Abducted by a Parent,” starts with the disappearance of Amina and Belel Kandil, siblings who were allegedly abducted by their father in 2014. Law enforcement believes they may have been taken outside the country. The case is told through the eyes of their mother, Rebecca Downey, who has not seen her two children for more than eight years.
The show also chronicles the disappearance of Abdul “Aziz” Khan, who was 7 years old when his mother allegedly abducted him before a court appearance in 2017. You can read more about Aziz’s story in our blog below.
Other cases shown during the episode include:
1. Charles and William Vosseler
7. Christopher and Lisa Zaharias
If you have any information about these children, or any missing children, please call us at 1-800-THE-LOST.
Originally published 11-24-2021
On Nov. 27, 2017, just after Thanksgiving, Aziz Khan was allegedly abducted by his non-custodial mother, Rabia Khalid, from their home in Atlanta, Georgia.
Aziz Khan at age 5.
This age-progression, created by a forensic artist at NCMEC, shows what Aziz might look like today.
Aziz’s abduction happened after years of custody dispute between Aziz’s parents, Abdul and Rabia. The couple separated in 2014 and had shared custody of Aziz. Shortly after, Rabia moved with her son from New Orleans, Louisiana to Atlanta, Georgia for a new job.
Abdul made sure he and Aziz spent as much time together as possible despite the over 400 miles of distance that separated them. “I made my whole work schedule around Aziz,” said Abdul. “I'd visit him every other weekend and I would bring him to New Orleans so he could be with his family.”
Aziz with his father, Abdul.
For Abdul and his side of the family, the move was challenging but, in some ways, brought them closer together. “It taught us that we needed to value every second that we had with each other,” said Rubina Khan, Aziz’s paternal aunt.
Five-year-old Aziz Khan with his father, Abdul Khan.
But, according to Abdul, Aziz’s mom, Rabia, made it increasingly difficult over time for him to see Aziz. This sparked a new, bitter custody battle between Abdul and Rabia that went on for several years. According to the U.S. Marshals, when it became clear that Rabia would lose custody of Aziz, she and her new husband, Elliot Bourgeois, vanished, taking Aziz with them.
“There's no indication of where they went or how they went there,” said Abdul. “They deleted their accounts, they shut down their phones and they disappeared.” Since then, Rabia has been charged with felony kidnapping and the U.S. Marshals are investigating.
According to Deputy U.S. Marshal, Brian Fair, Rabia and her husband left their esteemed careers in the medical field, took Aziz out of school and seemingly vanished. “They did not show up at work one day, just out of the blue,” said Fair. “They fell off the map.”
Aziz’s non-custodial mother, Rabia Khalid.
Rabia’s husband, Elliot Blake Bourgeois. Elliot is not wanted, but law enforcement believes he may have information about the whereabouts of Rabia and Aziz.
Aziz’s family describes the last several years as devastating. “I don’t know if Aziz is safe or if he's happy,” said Abdul.
“We’ve really lost joy in my family. We don't really celebrate holidays as much,” said Aziz’s aunt, Rubina.
If anyone has information about Aziz Khan or Rabia Khalid’s whereabouts, they are urged to contact the Atlanta Police Department in Georgia at 1-404-658-6666 or the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST.
Aziz’s poster can be found here: https://www.missingkids.org/poster/NCMC/1316146/1/screen.
Five-year-old Aziz Khan.