American ISIS hostage Kayla Mueller was confirmed dead Tuesday morning by her family.
“We are heartbroken to share that we’ve received confirmation that Kayla Jean Mueller, has lost her life,” the 26-year-old’s parents said in a statement.
“Kayla was a compassionate and devoted humanitarian. She dedicated the whole of her young life to helping those in need of freedom, justice, and peace.”
On Tuesday, the White House released a statement by the President on the death of the humanitarian aid worker.
In the press release, Obama makes the following claim:
“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 continues, “ISIL is a hateful and abhorrent terrorist group whose actions stand in stark contrast to the spirit of people like Kayla.”
The specific circumstances of her passing were not mentioned.
Mueller was captured in Syria on Aug. 4, 2013 while doing volunteer work with the Spanish Doctors Without Borders hospital. Last Friday, ISIS released a statement claiming that she had been killed in a Jordanian airstrike in Syria.
Jordan has disputed their claim. Similarly, the U.S. Department of Defense says there is no evidence to support or verify such an assertion.
In spite of the obvious dangers, Kayla Jean Mueller traveled to the Turkish-Syrian border and devoted herself to the care of Syrian refugees in Dec. 2012.