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FLINT, Mich. (AP) — Family members of a Michigan woman killed a year ago during fighting in Syria say they know little more now about her disappearance and death.
Thursday marks the one-year anniversary of 33-year-old Nicole Mansfield's death. The Flint-area family hasn't received her remains, a death certificate or solid information about why she was in the war-torn country.
"It's been horrible," her father, Greg Mansfield, told The Flint Journal (http://bit.ly/1kNXLea ) for a story published Thursday. "It's absolutely horrible. That's the best way I can describe it."
Democratic U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee from Flint Township said his office is in periodic contact with the State Department, which considers Nicole Mansfield's case an "ongoing investigation."
Mansfield became interested in the Middle East after a boyfriend introduced her to Islam several years ago, her relatives told The Associated Press last year. She continued with the religion after the relationship ended, going to services at a nearby mosque. She also started wearing a hijab.
She later married an Arab immigrant, got divorced and traveled to Dubai, telling her family at the time she wanted to learn more about Arab culture and the politics of the region, relatives said. Though family members asked, Mansfield never told them the details of her marriage or trips overseas.
Family members said FBI agents visited them last year and informed them of Mansfield's death.
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Information from: The Flint Journal, http://www.mlive.com/flint
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