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 Mueller, 26, was confirmed to have died under circumstances that
remain unclear about 18 months after she was abducted while leaving
a hospital in northern Syrian.
The White House said Mueller's family received a message from her
captors containing information that was authenticated by U.S.
intelligence analysts who verified her death.
President Barack Obama also publicly acknowledged in an interview
with the news website Buzzfeed that Mueller was among the hostages
whom U.S. commandos were sent to rescue but failed to find in an
operation he ordered last year.
Outside the county courthouse in her hometown of Prescott, Arizona,
two of Mueller's maternal aunts joined one of her childhood friends
and a local pastor to deliver a tearful tribute to the Northern
Arizona University grad.
 "She had a quiet, calming presence. She was a free spirit, always
standing up for those who were suffering and wanting to be their
voice," Lori Lyon said of her niece in a statement.
"Kayla had such great empathy, and it's hard to find that in this
world. It's really rare, and it was her greatest strength," said
Eryn Street, who described Mueller as her closest friend and
"kindred spirit."
Kathleen Day, head of the United Christian Ministry at Northern
Arizona University, related accounts of how Kayla's upbeat mood
prevailed even in captivity, as she tried to teach origami to her
guards, and exercised in cramp quarters by doing headstands.
Near the courthouse just off the main town square stood a small,
makeshift shrine adorned with flowers, a cross, a toy bear and a
handwritten note: "God bless you Kayla." A large white sign with the
words, "Pray for Kayla" stood beside it.
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Prescott Mayor Marlin Kuykendall, a friend of the Muellers, said
there had been talk of a memorial service, but that will take some
time and be dictated by the wishes of her family.
Before her abduction, Mueller worked for a Turkish relief agency on
the Syrian border, first traveling to that region in 2012. She
previously had volunteered for schools and relief groups elsewhere
in the Mideast and India.
"Kayla was a compassionate and devoted humanitarian. She dedicated
the whole of her young life to helping those in need of freedom,
justice and peace," her parents, Marsha and Carl, said in a
statement.
Lyon and others expressed hope that news of her fate might rally
more Americans to the cause of those suffering in conflicts around
the globe.
"The world grieves with us. The world mourns with us. The world
wants to be more like Kayla, and if that is her legacy and the
footprint she leaves on the world, then that is a wonderful thing,"
Lyon said between sobs.
(Writing by Steve Gorman; Editing by Ken Wills)
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