List of kidnappings (2020–present)

The following is a list of kidnappings that occurred from 2020 onward, summarizing the events of each case, including instances of celebrity abductions, claimed hoaxes, suspected kidnappings, extradition abductions, and mass kidnappings.

List DateVictimAbductorLocationAge of victimOutcomeNotes10 February 2020Faye SwetlikCoty Scott TaylorCayce, South Carolina, U.S.6MurderedSix-year-old Faye Swetlik disappeared on 10 February 2020 and was found murdered three days later. On the same day her body was found, a man named Coty Scott Taylor committed suicide and Swetlik's DNA was found in his house. Police concluded that Taylor had killed Swetlik hours after abducting her.April 2020Yohanah KilusIslamic State – West Africa ProvinceBorno State, NigeriaUnknownMurderedA Nigerian policeman Inspector Yohanah Kilus or Johanah James and Nigerian soldier Lance Corporal Emannuel Oscar were abducted between Maiduguri and Monguno. They were both executed on video on 11 April.Emannuel OscarMay 2020Cecilia ChimbiriZimbabwean government officersZimbabweUnknownReleasedMDC members who were abducted for two days after an anti-government protest, where they were allegedly tortured and sexually abused by government officers.Shingai Nyoka, 'Tortured Zimbabwe abductees' may face prosecution, BBC News, 19 May 2020. Accessed 30 May 2020.Joanah Mamombe26Netsai Marova258 June 2020Ishaku YakubuIslamic State – West Africa ProvinceBorno State, NigeriaUnknownMurderedFour Christian Nigerian Aid workers, Ishaku Yakubu of Action Against Hunger, Luka Filibus (31) of the International Rescue Committee, Abdulrahman Dungus of the REACH International Initiative, Abdur-Rahman Bulama a camp manager for the State Emergency Management Agency, and Joseph Prince a security guard working for the Alje Security Organization were abducted between Maiduguri and Magunon. A short quality of life video was released on 29 June, however 23 days later the captors released a video showing the execution of the five men.Luka Filibus31Abdulrahman Dungus28Abdur-Rahman Bulamalate 30'sJoseph PrinceUnknown2 July 2020Patricia AlatorreArmando CruzBakersfield, California, U.S.13MurderedAlatorre disappeared on 1 July around 11:30 p.m., with Bakersfield Police Department believing that she was a runaway until surveillance footage showed a pickup truck at the area. The police connected the truck to 24-year-old Armando Cruz from Inglewood, California, who pleaded guilty to raping and murdering Alatorre.9 September 2020Óscar DenisParaguayan People's ArmyConcepción, Paraguay73UnknownA Paraguayan politician and former Vice President of the nation. He was kidnapped on 9 September by the Paraguayan People's Army, who formally claimed responsibility for the kidnapping two days later. His fate ultimately remains unknown.15 November 2020Kum AvantikaChildless coupleHyderabad, Telangana, India3RescuedAvantika was abducted as she travelled with her family on a bus to Bellary. She was rescued approximately 20 hours after her abduction. The motive for her kidnapping was the fact that her abductors had no children of their own.14 December 2020Unnamed 12 year old girlNathan LarsonDenver, Colorado, USA12RescuedOn December 14, 2020, Larson was arrested at Denver International Airport on felony charges of attempted kidnapping, child abduction, soliciting child pornography from a minor, and meeting a child for the intention of sex, along with a misdemeanor charge of harboring a minor.3 March 2021Sarah EverardWayne CouzensLondon, England, UK33MurderedEverard disappeared in South London while walking home to Brixton Hill. Six days later, police officer Wayne Couzens was arrested on suspicion of kidnapping and later murdering Everard. Everard's remains were found in Hoad's Wood in a large builder's bag and identified via dental records. Couzens pleaded guilty to kidnapping and raping Everard, and eventually admitted killing her.11 March 202138–39 students from the Federal College of Forestry MechanizationUnknown bandits, Isayku Boderi (alleged)Afaka, Igabi, Kaduna State, Nigeria17+Released Armed bandits entered the school around 9 p.m. local time; residents ignored the sound of gunfire, assuming it was from training at a nearby military academy. A distress call was sent from the school and the Nigerian Armed Forces based in the nearby academy engaged the bandits in a firefight. One hundred and eighty staff and students were able to be rescued by the next morning. The bandits were successful in kidnapping and moving 38 to 39 students. In early April 2021, ten of the students were released and by 5 May 2021, the remaining were as well. In February 2024, Isayku Boderi, whom the government alleged was responsible for the kidnapping, was killed by Nigerian Security Forces.2 July 2021Unnamed 6-year-old girl (identity withheld)Robby WildtLouisville, Kentucky6RescuedThe unnamed child was kidnapped by Wildt from outside her home. Neighbors who witnessed the crime called 911; one followed Wildt's vehicle and provided authorities with part of the abductor's license plate. As such, the child was rescued just minutes after her abduction. Wildt was later sentenced to 13 years' imprisonment for the kidnapping.16 July 2021Selsela AlikhilUnknownIslamabad, PakistanUnknownReleasedDaughter of the Afghan ambassador to Pakistan who was forcefully abducted and tortured by an attacker who picked her up in his taxi. She was later released, and her case is currently under investigation.13 August 2021Mariam AbdulrabDeMarcus BrinkleyAtlanta, U.S.27MurderedBartender kidnapped from outside her home in Southeast Atlanta. Her body was discovered several hours later. Abdulrab's kidnapper, who had previously been convicted of child sexual abuse, plead guilty to her murder, kidnapping, attempted rape, and other charges.20 August 2021Queen BakomiUnidentified kidnapping gangBalma, Adamawa State, NigeriaUnknownRescuedOn 20 August a gang of kidnappers stormed the residence of Bakomi Andarawus and killed him before abducting his daughter Queen. Queen was held for six days while the gang demanded two million naira in ransom. The kidnappers eventually conceded that this was an unrealistic amount and agreed to accept 170,000 in return for Queen's release. According to a police source, the kidnappers directed representatives of the family to take the money to a particular place in the bush for collection. However, a group of vigilantes who were lying in wait opened fire on the gang member who came to collect the ransom and killed him, rescuing Queen in the process.16 October 2021Cleo SmithTerence Darrell KellyGascoyne, Australia4RescuedSmith disappeared from her family's tent at a campsite, and remained missing for 18 days until 3 November. She was found alive by police at Kelly's house after mobile phone evidence determined that he had visited the campsite. The kidnapper was sentenced to 13½ years in prison.November 2021Speedy MashiloUnknown hijackersR568 road between Ekangala and KwaMhlanga55ReleasedSpeedy Katisho Mashilo was kidnapped for a few hours in November 2021 by unknown hijackers who attempted to extort information from him. Mashilo was later let go.20 November 2021Bobbi-Anne McLeodCody AcklandPlymouth, UK18MurderedBobbi-Anne McLeod was attacked at a bus stop by Cody Ackland, who beat her with a claw hammer, forced her into his car and drove her up to Dartmoor, where he beat her to death. The kidnapper plead guilty to murder.12 December 2021Kamarie HollandJeremy Tremaine Williams and Kristy Marie SipleColumbus, Georgia, U.S.5MurderedA five-year-old child abducted from her Columbus, Georgia, home on 12 December 2021, by Jeremy Williams. She was drugged, repeatedly sexually assaulted and murdered by strangulation in Phenix City, Alabama, on 13 December. The abduction and sexual assault was committed upon the agreement Holland's mother, Kristy Siple—who staged a child abduction scenario—would be paid $1,300 by Williams to engage in sex with the child. Siple was ultimately sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment; Williams was found guilty of four counts of capital murder. He is currently incarcerated on death row.February 2022"Yang"Dong ZhiminFeng County, Xuzhou, People's Republic of ChinaUnknownRescuedA mentally disturbed and unlawfully imprisoned young woman chained to a wall and who gave birth to eight children throughout the period of her captivity. Several conflicting statements have been issued by the Chinese Communist Party following her rescue, including the claim "Yang" was a beggar who had first encountered her abductor's father in 1998 and had subsequently married her abductor.11 March 2022Ivan FedorovRussian military officersMelitopol, Ukraine33ReleasedMayor of the Ukrainian town of Melitopol who was arrested on 11 March 2022, for supposed crimes committed against civilians in the Luhansk People's Republic. He was released five days later in exchange for nine Russian soldiers.18 March 2022Yevhenii "Yevhen" BalRussian soldiersMariupol, Ukraine78Released, but died from injuriesYevhenii "Yevhen" Bal was a retired naval officer and captain in the Northern Fleet and Pacific Fleet he was also a journalist, writer and member of the National Writers' Union of Ukraine. On March 18 Russian soldiers broke into his home in Mariupol and held him captive for having photos of him with Ukrainian soldiers and his membership of NWUU. The soldiers would brutally beat him for three days, releasing him on March 21 they then told Bal "We are not at war with veterans of the USSR Navy." Bal would never recover from his injuries and would die on April 2 five days before his 79th birthday, as a direct result of the injuries he sustained during his captivity.27 March 2022Oleksandr KryvenkoRussian soldierBucha, Ukraine75MurderedOleksandr Kryvenko was the head of a modeling club, on the 27th of March, an intoxicated Russian soldier held him at gunpoint and forced him out of his house on Turgenev Street; the soldier then forced Kryvenko to ask his neighbors for alcohol, at one of the houses the soldier shot and killed Kryvenko.28 March 202262 passengersNigerian banditsKatari, Kaduna State, NigeriaVariousVarious62 passengers were abducted in the Abuja–Kaduna train attack.25 April 2022Brandon CuellarYesenia Guadalupe Ramirez and Jose Roman PortilloSan Jose, California, U.S.3 monthsRescuedCuellar was alone in his family apartment for a few minutes while his grandmother unloaded groceries. Jose Roman Portillo snatched the baby and walked out. Cuellar was found the next day safe after a 20-hour search. Ramirez, who had been faking a pregnancy, and Portillo plead guilty to the kidnapping. 2 August 2022Hamed SabouriUnknown, allegedly Taliban militantsKabul, Afghanistan22MurderedA gay man, 22, Sabouri's killing took place amid increasing violence against sexual minorities in Afghanistan in the aftermath of the Fall of Kabul and the Taliban takeover of the country. Controversy surrounding the case included Western media's coverage and a legal case in England and Wales against The Guardian.3 October 2022Amandeep SinghUnknownMerced, California, U.S.39MurderedA family of three and the uncle were kidnapped from a central California business. A suspect was arrested in connection with the kidnapping as their whereabouts were unknown, but they were found dead.Jasdeep Singh36Jasleen Kaur27Arrohi Dheri8 months14 October 2022Lola DavietDahbia Benkired19th arrondissement, Paris, France12MurderedDaviet was a 12-year-old schoolgirl murdered by 24-year-old Dahbia Benkired. She was lured into Benkired's sister's apartment, sexually assaulted, then asphyxiated. Her body was discovered in a travel trunk the same evening.30 November 2022Athena StrandTanner HornerParadise, Texas, United States7MurderedAthena Strand was a seven-year-old girl kidnapped and strangled to death by a delivery driver Tanner Horner. Horner pleaded guilty to capital murder and was sentenced to death in 2026.7 February 2023Phillip Mark MehrtensTPNPB-OPMParo, Nduga Regency, In