James Foley In Letter To Parents: 'I Feel Closest To You When I Pray'

The parents of recently-murdered American journalist James Foley have released a letter their son sent to his family while he was being held in captivity in Syria.

Foley, who previously worked for the Agence Free Presse, was kidnapped by Islamic State terrorists in 2012 in Syria. While being held captive, he wrote multiple letters to his family, all of which had been confiscated by his captors. Eventually, Foley devised a plan to verbally tell his letter to a fellow captor who was then freed. When the captor was freed, he reportedly contacted Foley's parents, Diane and John, and relayed the letter to them over the phone by memory.

In Foley's letter, the American journalist reminisces about family memories, including chasing his siblings around the house and riding bikes with his mom. He says these memories, along with prayer, keep him strong during his time of imprisonment.

"I know you are thinking of me and praying for me. And I am so thankful. I feel you all especially when I pray. I pray for you to stay strong and to believe. I really feel I can touch you even in this darkness when I pray," Foley told his parents and family in the letter.

Foley was beheaded by Islamic State militants in an unknown desert location sometime last week. The terrorists uploaded a video of Foley's beheading to YouTube, although the video sharing site has since removed the graphic five-minute video.

The deceased American's parents said in a statement to media that their son is now free, now that he is in heaven. "We know Jimmy's free," John Foley told reporters outside of his home in Rochester, New Hampshire. "He's finally free. And we know he's in God's hands […] and we know he's in heaven."