James Foley's mom: DOJ told the family ISIS Beatle 'George' is 'very much in ... trends now
The mother of murdered journalist James Foley has said she has been told ISIS terrorist 'Jihadi George' remains in U.S. custody - despite the Bureau of Prisons confirming he is no longer in their care.
Alexanda Kotey, known as 'Jihadi George', has vanished from the state systems while being held in Pennsylvania's high-profile Canaan prison.
The 39-year-old was incarcerated there after pleading guilty to eight criminal charges relating to the abduction, torture and beheading of Islamic State hostages in Syria between 2012 and 2015.
But the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) has confirmed that he is no longer in their custody - sparking concern about his whereabouts – with one expert claiming he may be grilled on 'where the bodies are'.
Diane Foley said that the Justice Department had reassured their family.
A spokesman for told DailyMail.com: 'The DOJ has told us that Kotey is very much in federal custody in the US.'
Alexanda Kotey, known as 'Jihadi George', has vanished from the state systems while being held in Pennsylvania's high-profile Canaan prison
Diane Foley, pictured during the sentencing of 'Beatle' El Shafee Elsheikh in August, said she had been reassured that his fellow terrorist Alexanda Kotey remained in custody
Journalist James Foley, 40, was murdered by the terrorist group in Syria in August 2014
He faced trial in the US in relation to the four American hostages, before being sent to Canaan after being sentenced on eight counts
He was sent to Canaan in August last year, with part of his plea deal including 'cooperation requirements'.
Kotey's deal meant that he was able to avoid serving his time at the ADX Florence prison in Colorado – dubbed the 'Alcatraz of the Rockies'.
However, less than six months after the sentencing, the BOP confirmed that he is 'not currently in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons'.
Taxi driver and aide worker David Haines traveled to Syria before being kidnapped, with his daughter Bethany, 24, telling The Scottish Daily Record on Wednesday that she believes Kotey is still in the US penal system.
She said: 'In the past, he has been traceable, as we have access to data via the U.S. victim notification scheme, and we at least had the reassurance that he was in a high-security facility.
'I don't want to think that he has managed to negotiate his way into any kind of easy treatment on the basis of him assisting authorities or anything else.'
A national security expert told DailyMail.com: 'There is a high likelihood he has been moved to a secure location to speak with government officials - or non-government individuals - related to information he may possess that hasn't been made public.
'It could relate to the recovery of bodies the group was responsible for while they were illegally held.
'For instance, U.S. hostages that were killed by the Beatles.'
They horrified the world after releasing video footage of several of the killings, showing their victims in orange jumpsuits before they were beheaded. Pictured David Haines with his daughter
Kotey no longer shows up on the system as being at the prison, with officials confirming he is not in their custody.
Alexanda Amon Kotey, left, and El Shafee Elsheikh, spoke during an interview with The Associated Press at a security center in Kobani, Syria in March 2019
The BOP would not confirm where Kotey had gone, or why his position had changed, adding that there are 'several reasons' why inmates can be moved.
A spokesman said: 'Inmates who were previously in BOP custody and who have not completed their sentence may be outside BOP custody for a period of time for court hearings, medical treatment or for other reasons.'
The BOP also noted that it does not provide specific details about an inmate due to 'safety, security, or privacy reasons.'
Dr Joseph Downing, a terrorism expert at London School of Economics, told DailyMail.com that he thought it could be an 'administrative error' adding: 'It does happen regularly in prison systems globally but is not often discussed.
'For example the wrong inmates are regularly released due to record keeping errors or the wrong inmate being selected or, in some cases even inmates agreeing to try and let someone out to defraud the system for money or status.
A national security expert told DailyMail.com: 'There is a high likelihood he has been moved to a secure location to speak with government officials - or non-government individuals - related to information he may possess that hasn't been made public'
Kotey's deal meant that he was able to avoid serving his time at the ADX Florence prison in Colorado – dubbed the 'Alcatraz of the Rockies'
The 39-year-old was incarcerated there after pleading guilty to eight criminal charges relating to the abduction, torture and beheading of Islamic State hostages in Syria between 2012 and 2015
'You would imagine such a high-security high-profile prisoner would have been double and triple verified daily so a serious lapse or security has been made.
'However it is highly unlikely that if he is outside he will be out for long due to his high-profile English accent and lack of immigration status and documents.
Dr Downing also said it could be possible the jihadi had cut a deal with the government to turn on ISIS and help them in exchange for parole.
Kotey was a member of 'The Beatles' terror group who kidnapped and killed 27 people – targeting westerners because of their allegiance to ISIS.
They horrified the world after releasing video footage of several of the killings, showing their victims in orange jumpsuits before they were beheaded.
Among the group were four Americans, James Foley and Steven Sotloff, Peter Kassig and Kayla Mueller – and two Britons.
Slain American journalist James Foley (left) covering the civil war in Aleppo, Syria, in 2012 and US aid worker Peter Kassig (right)
The terror cell was said to include Kotey, El Shafee Elsheikh (pictured) and ringleader Mohammed Emwazi , known as Jihadi John, who was killed in a drone strike
Haines daughter met Kotey face-to-face in Virginia last year, where he told her how he had abducted her father and witnesses his torture and murder.
It was part of a deal which will see Kotey transferred to the UK, where members of his family live, to serve the rest of his term after serving 15 years in the US.
He may have also been taken abroad to assist with investigations into another case.
DailyMail.com have contacted the Ministry of Justice and HM Prison Service for a
