The mother of James Foley, the journalist who was apparently beheaded by members of the Islamic State in Syria, paid tribute to her son on Tuesday, saying she had "never been prouder" of him.
Foley had been missing since late 2012 when a video purporting to show his horrific murder was posted to YouTube. Hours later, his mother, Diane, who has been part of a campaign to find her son, posted a wrenching message to the Facebook page of the "Free James Foley" group, appearing to confirm her son's death and celebrating his life.
She also referenced the other hostages still held by ISIS, including Foley's fellow journalist Steven Sotloff, who was identified as another man in the video which showed Foley's killing.
Read Diane Foley's full statement below:
We have never been prouder of our son Jim. He gave his life trying to expose the world to the suffering of the Syrian people.
We implore the kidnappers to spare the lives of the remaining hostages. Like Jim, they are innocents. They have no control over American government policy in Iraq, Syria or anywhere in the world.
We thank Jim for all the joy he gave us. He was an extraordinary son, brother, journalist and person. Please respect our privacy in the days ahead as we mourn and cherish Jim.