The mother of a victim of a British terrorist who was part of an Islamic State cell nicknamed 'the Beatles' called on the killer today to tell the authorities where the remains of her son are located.
Diane Foley, the mother of James Foley, 40, who was the first of four American hostages to be killed, was in a US federal court yesterday to see 37-year-old Alexanda Amon Kotey plead guilty to multiple charges.
Kotey, who grew up in London, conspired to abduct and behead Western hostages for ISIS and was one of the gang of militants nicknamed 'the Beatles' by their captives due to their British accents.
The cell - said to be made up of ringleader Mohammed Emwazi, known as Jihadi John, Aine Davis, El Shafee Elsheikh and Kotey - was allegedly responsible for the brutal killings of a Western and Japanese captives.
Kotey pleaded guilty to eight counts including conspiring to murder four American hostages - journalists Mr Foley and Steven Sotloff and aid workers Peter Kassig and Kayla Mueller - and providing material support to ISIS.
Diane Foley (right), the mother of slain American hostage James Foley, speaks alongside the parents of other murdererd hostages following the guilty pleas by Alexanda Kotey outside the the US District Court in Alexandria, Virginia, yesterday
Ms Foley was among the family members of the American victims who were in court in Alexandria, Virginia, to hear details of the charges and watch Kotey plead guilty.
Kotey now faces spending the rest of his life behind bars - and asked if there was a way in which he could make amends, Ms Foley told BBC Radio 4 Today's programme this morning: 'I don't know, that's up to him.
'I didn't get any indication that he was interested in that, but I would hope that in time that he might just because of the extent of the evil that he has committed. I don't know any soul that could live with that, but that's just my opinion.
'All of us would like to know where the remains of our children are. Also I would very much like to know if other people are still living who also were involved.
'These are two people who were quite involved with the hostage taking and torture of our son Jim and Peter (Kassig), Kayla (Mueller) and Steven (Sotloff). However I think there may well be others who might still be living.
'I hope he might have some answers for the poor Mueller family to find out about their daughter Kayla, and for John Cantlie, I would just hope part of this bargain is that Kotey would be forthcoming in talking to our government, your government and any of us who want to speak to him.'
Talking about what it was like to be in court, Ms Foley added: 'It was rather chilling to be there, because it was the first time we've ever seen him in person.
' Just the fact that he was pleading guilty to all eight counts was quite amazing really, and it really brings me to want to thank your Scotland Yard and our FBI and our Department of Justice for putting together such a strong case that he would feel it necessary to plead guilty today.
'So we are grateful for the work of all the good people, and of course the Syrian Democratic Forces who actually arrested Kotey and Elsheikh.
'So we're very grateful for the work of all the good people on both sides of the Atlantic in this regard.'
Asked if Kotey looked at her in court, Ms Foley said: 'Briefly, briefly. He knew we were present. We were introduced and he knew we were there.
'It was pretty matter of fact from his point of view. He had obviously made up his mind this was his best chance of getting home to the United Kingdom at some point.
'He just felt it was what he needed to do. So I'm glad that he did in fact plead guilty, and it is my hope that he will spend the rest of his life behind bars without ever having parole.
'I almost think, to be honest, a quick martyrdom is too easy a way out of what he has committed. I was always against the death penalty.
'But I do feel accountability is essential to anyone who kidnaps or unjustly detains our citizens, otherwise our countries can never hope to deter this horror of hostage taking. This step in accountability was essential.'
And asked about the effect on her of an ISIS affiliate becoming resurgent in Afghanistan, Ms Foley said: 'Very sobering, so sobering, to think that the horror of this terrorism is continuing.
'It certainly hasn't stopped, and I fear there is a potential for much more hostage taking. They love to use the horror of that to frighten us, manipulate other governments and raise funds for their evil works. So I'm very sobered by that, very sad.'
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