Islamic State 'Beatle' Pleads Guilty to Murder Charges

ALEXANDRIA, VA - Alexanda Kotey, a member of the notorious Islamic State kidnapping cell dubbed the "Beatles," pleaded guilty Thursday in a U.S. court to charges of conspiring to murder four American hostages.  

The federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, outside Washington had posted a notice this week for a "change of plea" hearing for Kotey, a former British national and one of two kidnap cell members brought to the United States for trial.     Kotey, 37, and El Shafee Elsheikh, 33, were flown from Iraq in October to face trial for involvement in the murders of American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff and relief workers Peter Kassig and Kayla Mueller.    After the two suspects were captured in January 2018 by Syrian Kurdish forces in Syria, they were turned over to U.S. forces in Iraq.