DNA tests to find Bigley's body

By David Green
BBC News

Liverpool's Roman Catholic cathedral held a vigil for Ken Bigley

American authorities are using DNA in an effort to locate murdered hostage Ken Bigley's body, one year after he was kidnapped.

The 62-year-old from Walton, Liverpool, was taken hostage on 16 September 2004 by the Tawhid and Jihad Iraqi militant group in Baghdad.

Three weeks later, a grisly video posted on the internet revealed that he had been beheaded.

Mr Bigley was working on an engineering contract in Iraq when he was kidnapped.

Within six days, his two American colleagues - Eugene Armstrong and Jack Hensley - had been beheaded, while Mr Bigley was murdered on 8 October.

A memorial in the cathedral and at St Mary's was a fitting way to honour Ken Rev Trevor Latham

The question of what happened to his body has haunted his Thai wife Sombat, and his family back in Liverpool ever since.

In June, Ken's brother Stan revealed Baghdad sources had told them the body had been buried and the family might find out where in the future.

His elderly mother, Lil, who collapsed and was taken to hospital while Ken was held hostage, said finding his body would "put an end to the sad story".

The Foreign Office said DNA from the family had been sent to the US authorities in Baghdad in the hope that it would match with any remains found there.

"We remain in touch with the Bigley family in the UK and with his wife Sombat in Thailand," a spokeswoman said.

"Sadly we have nothing to report as yet."

Ken Bigley was murdered by members of Tawhid and Jihad

Meanwhile, a Treasury ban on banks holding assets linked to the terror group which murdered Mr Bigley is still in place.

However, Paul Rogers, professor of peace studies at Bradford University, said terrorists would find other ways of shifting cash to carry out campaigns.

He said: "By closing down accounts, governments are at least stopping it from being too easy for terrorists.

"But these groups have informal banking systems for moving funds around. They just carry it in cash or use diamonds or other gems.

"Three or four years ago, they may still have used banks - but now they have moved away from this."

'Fitting honour'

In Liverpool, Mr Bigley's kidnapping and death prompted widespread grief with well-attended vigils and memorials being held at his local church and the Roman Catholic cathedral.

But Rev Trevor Latham, who organised a vigil at St Mary's Church, in Walton, said Mr Bigley's fate was no longer "a burning issue" in the community.

"There are other issues for the community of Liverpool - Michael Shields for example," he said, referring to the Liverpool fan jailed in Bulgaria for an attack on a barman which another man has since admitted.

"As far as the city is concerned, a memorial in the cathedral and at St Mary's was a fitting way to honour Ken, it was a moving, fitting and appropriate tribute."