PLEASE NOTE: This story has been updated to reflect comments made by FBI Director James Comey
U.S. authorities said Thursday they have confirmed the identity of the ISIS militant seen in videos depicting the beheading of captive journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff, and British aid worker David Haines.
FBI Director James Comey said that he believes the agency knows the identity of the masked man seen in the videos of the three executions, but the bureau isn’t making the name public.
Comey did not address whether the U.S. believes the man in the video actually carried out the killings, as the actual acts of beheading aren’t seen.
According to ABC News, Comey said the murderer is likely from somewhere in North America — contradicting reports the suspected killer is British. NBC News reported Comey saying the FBI is trying to identify individuals in ISIS videos that appeared to have U.S. or Canadian accents.
“We have a big focus going on that right now,” NBC reported Comey saying.
In the videos, the masked-militant is heard speaking with what sounds like a British accent.
The suspected killer has been referred to as “Jailer John,” and “Jihadi John” in British media, in reference to a group of ISIS fighters who all spoke with British accents and were referred to as the Beatles — the men nicknamed John, Paul, George and Ringo by their hostages.
British media previously reported that the person seen in the video may be British passport-holder Abdel-Majed Abdel Bary.
Bary, the 23-year-old son of an Egyptian refugee accused of being an al-Qaeda operative, was an aspiring rapper prior to leaving the U.K. to join ISIS, also referred to as the Islamic State.
READ MORE: Is James Foley’s killer a British rapper-turned-jihadist?
With files from The Associated Press
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