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Kidnappers beheaded British hostage Kenneth Bigley after twice releasing videos in which he wept and pleaded with Prime Minister Tony Blair for his life. A U.S. official said Friday there was credible information that Bigley had tried to escape with the aid of one of his captors. The attempt failed and Bigley was killed a short time later as was shown on a video of his beheading, the Washington official said on condition of anonymity. There was no word on the fate of his captor. A Western official in Baghdad refused to talk about the escape attempt report. The 62-year-old...

College fund for murdered hostage's daughter tops $75,000 Donations flood in after former Tega Cay resident's death By Matt Garfield The Herald (Published October 2‚ 2004) More than $75,000 has been donated to a trust fund for the 13-year-old daughter of Jack Hensley, the former Tega Cay resident who was taken hostage and killed in Iraq, the fund's organizers said Friday. A week ago, only $2,500 was in the fund set up to help Jack Hensley's daughter Sara. Donations have been pouring in since then, said Norm Ballmer, vice president of the Tega Cay Rescue Squad, which set up the...

I am a close friend of Ty Henlsey, the brother of slain American Jack Hensley. I just wanted to post an update to this article on FreeRepulic.In short, during the early hours of Ty's media-go-round plea for help for his brother's family the small town bank handling the Trust was not able to handle the response. In addition to this problem some media outlets reported the Trust had taken in significant funds. This was totally false. As of 3:00PM Thursday September 23, 2004 $2,500 had been raised. An excerpt of the News Release from the group handling the trust states:"There...

Jack Hensley Beheading Video WARNING: GRAPHIC

Jack Hensley's family and friends set up a website, where funeral arrangements and memorials will be placed.Hensley Family Jack Hensley, his loving wife Pati and their daughter Sara. This photo was taken in January 2004 at the wedding of Jack's younger brother Ty. Jack was not only a big brother to Ty, but a surrogate father at times. He will be missed by all.Memorial While everyone who knew Jack grieves at such a senseless loss of life, it is with his daughter Sara our thoughts reside. The loss of a father can never truly be healed, but it is possible...

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Gunmen abducted two Americans and a Briton in a brazen attack Thursday on a house in an upscale Baghdad neighborhood where many embassies and foreign companies are based, the Interior Ministry and witnesses said. It was the latest in a wave of kidnappings of foreigners in Iraq. The three, employees of Gulf Services Company, a Middle East-based construction firm, were seized from a two-story house surrounded by a wall in the al-Mansour neighborhood, said Col. Adnan Abdel-Rahman, a ministry official. American and British diplomats in Baghdad could not immediately confirm that account, though the U.S. Embassy said...