A government official said that officials have examined a photo that apparently shows Mueller's body lying on the ground, with a view of her shoulder and face. There are no indications of the cause of death from the photo, and no rubble is visible, the official said.
Little was publicized about Kayla Mueller's ordeal before ISIS claimed she had been killed: her family had requested her name be kept out of the press out of fears it would endanger her life.
That all changed when ISIS claimed Friday that Mueller had been buried in the rubble of a building hit by Jordanian aircraft near their stronghold of Raqqa, Syria. Jordan has been pounding militant targets following the immolation of one of the kingdom's captive fighter pilots. At the time, U.S. officials said they could not confirm ISIS' account.
Mueller's path to Syria was born out of a lifelong dedication to humanitarian work. She won several volunteering awards as a teen, focusing on causes such as the genocide in Darfur first in high school and later as a student at Northern Arizona University — where she also founded the student chapter of Amnesty International.
More collateral damage in the continuing crisis in Syria and Iraq with ISIS/ISIL.
The U.S. military launched a raid in Syria last July to free Mueller and her fellow hostages, but they arrived too late, as ISIS had already moved the prisoners. Strands of Mueller’s hair were reportedly found at a site where ISIS was believed to have been holding her and the other captives. http://www.thedailybeast.com/...
President Barack Obama expressed his "deepest condolences" to Mueller's relatives and confirmed the young woman's death.
"No matter how long it takes, the United States will find and bring to justice the terrorists who are responsible for Kayla's captivity and death," he said in a statement which called ISIS a "hateful and abhorrent terrorist group."
Secretary of State John Kerry said Mueller "represented everything good about the human spirit," and Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel said "the world is united in condemning" ISIS' "murder and imprisonment of innocents."
"As we join Kayla's family and loved ones in their grief, we also celebrate her selfless dedication to helping others," he said in a statement. "Her compassionate spirit will never be forgotten."
Mueller was captured in Syria in August 2013.
Obama recently had stressed that the U.S. was deploying "all assets" to save the young aid worker, who was believed to be the last American hostage held by ISIS. Three others — James Foley, Steven Sotloff and Abdul-Rahman Kassig — were beheaded by ISIS militants. http://www.nbcnews.com/...