The parents of an American woman held hostage by the Islamic State have been informed that she is dead. At 10 o’clock a.m., the Associated Press tweeted the following grim message:
BREAKING: Parents of American woman held by Islamic State notified of her death.
— The Associated Press (@AP) February 10, 2015
A followup dispatch notes that Carl and Marsha Mueller, the parents of Kayla Jean Mueller, released a statement on Tuesday saying they had been informed that their daughter was had died and noted that the White House had issued a statement confirming the death.
The dispatch confirms earlier reports that the 26-year-old woman from Prescott, Ariz., had died in a Jordanian airstrike. Initially, the government of Jordan dismissed the report as propaganda. U.S. officials had said they hadn’t seen any evidence to corroborate the report.
Mueller is the only known remaining U.S. hostage held by the Islamic State group. She was taken into captivity in August 2013 while leaving a hospital in Syria.
More to follow as information becomes available.