Colombians Find Bodies of 2 U.S. Missionaries
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BOGOTA, Colombia — Soldiers Tuesday recovered the bodies of two U.S. missionaries who were kidnaped by Marxist guerrillas more than a year ago, a Colombian army official said.
The official said the soldiers found the bodies of Steve Welsh of North Platte, Neb., and Timothy Van Dyke of Towanda, Pa., near the site of a skirmish with guerrillas Tuesday in the central department, or province, of Cundinamarca.
He said the rebels apparently shot the men Monday or Tuesday.
The captors, allegedly members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), had been demanding a huge ransom for the release of the hostages, he said.
Welsh and Van Dyke, both 43, were kidnaped in January, 1994, when FARC guerrillas burst into their office near Villavicencio, about 40 miles southeast of Bogota.
The two Americans worked for Florida-based New Tribes Mission, a Christian organization.
Colombian rebels are known to kidnap foreigners to extort money from their families or employers.
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