Sister Of Captured U.S. Soldier Dies

The sister of an Army sergeant captured by Iraqi forces last week died Friday of a rare neurological disorder.

The parents of captured U.S. Army Sgt. James Riley stood silently outside their suburban Philadelphia home as a military spokesman confirmed the death of Mary Riley, 29. She died at Hahnemann University Hospital in Philadelphia, where she had been in a coma since Jan. 23.

The family, in a written statement, said they hope their son keeps his "faith in God, his nation and himself" if he finds out about his sister's death before they are able to contact him.

James Riley, 31, of Pennsauken, was one of five U.S. soldiers captured when Iraqi forces attacked an army supply convoy around An Nasiriyah. He was seen Sunday on Iraqi television broadcasts.

Riley was with the 507th Maintenance Co., part of the 111th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, based at Fort Bliss, Texas. He enlisted in the Army after graduating Pennsauken High School in 1990.

Riley's parents, Athol and Jane, scheduled a private funeral for Mary, who would have turned 30 on April 23.