Missing Boy From Netflix’s Unsolved Mysteries Found Alive After 7 Years
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Abdul Aziz Khan, 14, went missing when he was 7 years old.
Aziz went missing in 2017. (Photo Credits: X)
For seven long years, Abdul Aziz Khan was just a name on missing person reports, a face on a poster, a mystery that haunted his loved ones. And then, in the most unexpected way, he was found. It all started with what seemed like an ordinary trespassing call in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. Deputies from the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office responded, expecting to handle a routine complaint. But what they discovered was anything but routine. In that moment, a case that had stretched across years and multiple states finally cracked wide open.
Aziz, now 14, had reportedly been missing since 2017. He was just a little boy when he vanished from Atlanta, Georgia, taken by his non-custodial mother, Rabia Khalid. For years, his father, Abdul, had fought tirelessly to find him. Now, thanks to sharp-eyed officers and a stroke of luck, the nightmare was over.
“We’re overwhelmed with joy that Aziz has finally been found. We want to thank everyone for their support over the last seven years. Now, as we navigate the next steps, we ask for privacy so that we can move forward as a family and heal together,” his family said in a statement, as per Fox News.
Back in 2017, Khalid, then 40, was in the middle of a bitter custody battle with Abdul. She had moved from New Orleans to Atlanta for work, but over time, she made it increasingly difficult for him to see his son. Despite the 400-mile distance, Abdul never gave up. “I made my whole work schedule around Aziz,” he shared with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC).
But when Khalid realised she was on the verge of losing custody, she made a drastic move. Instead of attending a scheduled court hearing on November 27, 2017, she disappeared. Alongside her new husband, Elliot Blake Bourgeois, she packed up and fled with Aziz, leaving Abdul to search for answers.
Aziz’s case had gained national attention, even appearing in Netflix’s “Unsolved Mysteries.” As described by the OTT platform, the long-running series features real cases of perplexing disappearances, shocking murders and paranormal encounters.
Authorities pursued leads across 11 states, but the trail remained cold. That is, until February 23, when Douglas County deputies responded to reports of a burglary at a vacant home. When they arrived, they found two adults loitering nearby and two children inside a vehicle parked in the driveway. The adults initially claimed they were connected to the realtor, but their story didn’t hold up for long. Soon, their true identities were revealed.
One of them was Khalid, wanted on an active kidnapping warrant. The other, Elliot Blake Bourgeois, her husband and accomplice.
“Our deputies responded to what seemed like a routine trespass call, but through sharp attention to detail and tenacity, they uncovered the truth. Their ability to recognise the discrepancies in the suspects’ story and to follow the leads, even when the situation seemed unclear, ultimately led to the safe recovery of a child who had been missing for seven long years,” Sheriff Darren Weekly explained to Fox News.
Khalid and Bourgeois now face a series of charges, including Second-Degree Kidnapping, Forgery, Identity Theft, Providing False Information to Authorities and Trespassing. Their bonds have been set at $1 million each and they are set to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on March 27.
Meanwhile, Aziz and another child, whose identity remains undisclosed, have been placed into protective custody. Sheriff Weekly described meeting Aziz’s family as an emotional experience. “This family has a long road ahead of them. We will walk with them step by step as they navigate this journey. We hope they find healing and hope in the days, weeks, months and even years ahead of them,” he said.
The investigation remains ongoing as authorities work to piece together the full story.
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