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Foley's family releases memorized letter from captivity

Posted at 7:48 AM, Aug 25, 2014
and last updated 2014-08-25 10:48:15-04

Journalist James Foley's family shared a memorized letter he dictated to a fellow captor. The family released the letter the same day hundreds remembered him in his home state.

The letter, posted to Facebook, has several messages for individual family members. It also details how he and 17 other captives passed the days by sharing memories and playing games with scraps found in their holding cell.

FOLEY: "I have had weak and strong days. We are so grateful when anyone is freed; but of course, yearn for our own freedom. We try to encourage each other and share strength."

The post says Foley's jailers took any letters he tried to write, so he asked a fellow captive about to be released to commit the message to memory.

Foley disappeared around Thanksgiving 2012 before appearing in a gruesome video of his killing released by the Islamic militant group ISIS.

The Times reported early Monday morning video forensics analysts believe the video was staged and militants killed Foley off camera.

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