Parents of Slain US Journalist Criticize Handling

Rochester: The parents of a New Hampshire journalist slain by Islamic extremists in Syria say they never knew what the U.S. government was doing to help their son and were told they could be prosecuted for raising money to pay a ransom.

James Foley was kidnapped in 2012. He was beheaded by members of the Islamic State militant group, a killing depicted in an Internet video posted Aug. 19. Two weeks later, another video showed the slaying of another journalist, Jonathan Sotloff.

John and Diane Foley tell WMUR-TV in New Hampshire (http://bit.ly/1rVZVYV ) they hope the government has learned lessons to spare other American lives.

Also Friday, Foley's family announced the James W. Foley Legacy Fund, to support families of American hostages, aid American journalists reporting from conflict zones.