The parents of Kayla Mueller, Carl and Marsha Mueller, have written an emotional open letter to President Donald Trump, urging him to use his upcoming meeting with Syria’s interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, to recover and bring home their daughter’s remains. The letter, shared exclusively with Fox News Digital, underscores their decade-long struggle for closure following the tragic death of Kayla, an American aid worker who was kidnapped by ISIS in 2013. She was enslaved and ultimately murdered in 2015, with her body never recovered. Her family has remained steadfast in their pursuit of justice and the return of her remains to the United States, believing that this moment represents a pivotal opportunity amid the shifting political landscape in Syria.
Kayla Mueller was a 26-year-old humanitarian aid worker from Arizona who was kidnapped by ISIS in 2013 while helping Syrian refugees near the Turkish border. She was enslaved by ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who reportedly abused and murdered her in 2015. Her body was never recovered. The Muellers’ letter recounts their anguish, detailing how, in 2019, Operation Kayla Mueller—ordered by President Trump—led to the death of al-Baghdadi in northern Syria. Standing with Trump at the 2020 Republican National Convention, the Muellers credited him for “delivering the iron fist of justice against unspeakable evil.”
With the fall of the Assad regime and the establishment of Syria’s interim government, the Muellers emphasized the new opportunities that this political transformation brings. They praised increased regional cooperation in locating missing Americans and highlighted Rep. Abe Hamadeh, R-Ariz., who has personally visited Damascus to advocate for her return. In a statement to Fox News Digital, Hamadeh expressed his commitment, noting his vow to Kayla’s parents and his family’s longstanding connection to her story. The Muellers described Trump’s upcoming meeting with al-Sharaa as a defining moment for U.S. foreign policy and their family’s quest for closure. They ended the letter with a plea, urging the administration to act decisively and bringing closure to Kayla’s story. This moment, they wrote, is a chance to reaffirm America’s resolve that it never abandons its own, and that one more push could bring Kayla home.