Witnesses describe hostages’ despair at Brit’s terror trial

By MATTHEW BARAKAT
Associated Press

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — Jurors at the terrorism trial of British national El Shafee Elsheikh are hearing emotional testimony as the trial stretches into its second week in a Virginia courtroom. On Wednesday, the father of slain American hostage Peter Kassig read excerpts of a letter his son wrote in the months before he was killed. The letter expressed Kassig’s flagging hopes of survival. They also heard from a surviving French hostage who described the torture inflicted on him after he briefly managed to escape. Elsheikh _ better known to his captives as one of “the Beatles” because of his accent _ is accused of playing a leading role in the hostage-taking scheme that resulted in the beheading deaths of three Americans.