Timeline of events leading to the arrest of alleged ISIS recruits

By Chris Thies | August 13, 2015 at 11:00 PM CDT - Updated July 11 at 1:50 PM

Jaelyn Young (Photo source: Vicksburg Post)

It was an investigation launched more than two months ago by the FBI that eventually led to the arrest of two Mississippi State students accused of trying to leave the U.S. to join the terrorist group ISIS.

Jaelyn Young is the daughter of a 17-year veteran of the Vicksburg Police Department. She was a high school honor student and homecoming maid majoring in chemistry at MSU.

Young, 19, is accusing of trying to leave the country with her fiancé, 22-year-old Muhammad Dakhlalla, to travel to Syria to join the Islamic extremist group ISIS.

FBI agents made contact with Young through social media sites in May. Over the course of the two month investigation, Young readily voiced her support for ISIS and showed disdain towards the United States.

Court documents show Young and Dakhlalla had an elaborate plan to avoid authorities and make it to Syria.

Here is a timeline of events from the day the investigation began to the day Young and Dakhlalla were arrested over the weekend, according to court documents:

May 13, 2015: FBI Employee 1 has online contact with an individual who expressed a desire to travel to Syria to support ISIS. Person also makes statements supporting ISIS.

May 21, 2015: FBI Employee 1 identifies Young through social media platforms as a supporter of ISIS.

May 25, 2015: Young’s Twitter page contains these messages: “@1_Modest_Woman $$$ for plane tickets”

“The only thing keeping me away is $$$ but working all of this overtime will be worth when I am finally there. #baqiya”

“I just want to be there :( #IS.”

May 29, 2015: FBI Employee 1 talked with Young through several social media platforms. Young says the Muslim family with whom she spends a great deal of time, and her local community as a whole, “many of the family members and members of the community do not support Dawlah not support Dawlah.” “Dawlah is correct,” Young said. Dawlah is ISIS’s preferred name for itself.

In that same conversation, Young said she was preparing for a “hijjrah,” or a journey to the Islamic State, with a partner. They planned to leave before August and wanted to discuss concerns about being monitored by government agencies.

Young said she and her partner would have to have a “nikkah” so they could travel together without an escort. Nikkah is an Islamic marriage.

Investigators identify Young’s partner as Dakhlalla.

“Alhamdulillah we found jobs…and we have been saving up. We have enough for tickets and other expenses but now we are just waiting on my passport which of course takes forever all of a sudden.”

Young reveals the plan to land in Turkey with Dakhlalla. From Turkey, they would then enter Syria.

June 1, 2015: FBI Employee 1 introduces Young to FBI Employee 2 as a purported ISIS facilitator.

“I need help crossing from Turkey to Syria with my hijjrah partner. We will leave before August Ukhti and we don’t know Turkey at all very well (I haven’t even travelled outside U.S. before),” Young said to FBI Employee 2.

Young said she was ready to swear allegiance to ISIS.

Young outlines the skills she and Dakhlalla can offer ISIS: “I am skilled in math and chemistry and worked at an analytical lab here at my college campus. My partner is very good with like computer science/media. We learn very fast and would love to help with giving medical aid to the injury In sha Allah.”

June 2, 2015: Young asks FBI Employee 2 what role Dakhlalla will play once they reach ISIS. Would he be “media or Mujahideen.”

“He wants to help with media group and really wants to correct the falsehoods heard here. US has a thick cloud of falsehoods and very little truth about Dawlah makes it through and if it does then usually the links are deleted,” said Young.

Young discusses change of plans to fly into Greece first before traveling into Turkey to avoid suspicion. They plan to pose as newlyweds on their honeymoon.

June 3, 2015: FBI Employee 1 makes contact with Dakhlalla through social media. He confirms he is good with computers and asks what he can “contribute to Dawlah.”

Dakhlalla says his father has approved the nikkah with Young, and they hope to “be married before we reach Dawlah.”

June 6, 2015: Young and Dakhlalla are married.

June 9, 2015: FBI Employee 2 reassures Young about her travel concerns.

“I cannot wait to get to Dawlah so I can be amongst my brothers and sisters under the protection of Allah swt and to raise little Dawlah cubs In sha Allah.”

June 10, 2015: Dakhlalla confirms his marriage to Young to FBI Employee 1

June 13, 2015: Young tells FBI Employee 2 that she and Dakhlalla are going to pay to expedite issuance of their passports.

June 21, 2015: Dakhlalla to FBI Employee 1: “We can’t make any further movement until our passports come in. We got them expedited but until then we are stuck in a rut. In sha Allah we will make it to Dawlah before eid and if not then we will make sure to spend it with our families…since it will be our last with them. ”

June 25, 2015: Young complains to FBI Employee 2 about the amount of time it was taking to receive their passports.

June 26, 2015: Young and Dakhlalla apply for passports and pay to have them expedited. Bank accounts show Dakhlalla paid $340 around July 1 to have the passports expedited.

July 1, 2015: “When we make it to Istanbul, do we absolutely have to buy a sim card or can we contact you via a laptop,” asked Young.

July 8, 2015: Young to FBI Employee 2: “Our passports should be in by next weekend. We will just fly to Istanbul now since we just want to get to Dawlah…our hearts ache :( but we have little expenses remaining so can’t stay in Istanbul long Ukhti.”

July 12, 2015: Dakhlalla to FBI Employee 1: “I wanted to ask about the military experience there. Would I be with people that speak English as well or do they put me in with everyone as basic training? I am excited about coming to Dawlah, but I feel I won’t know what all I will be doing.”

July 13, 2015: Dakhlalla to FBI Employee 1: “I wish to be a mujahid akhi. I am willing to fight. I want to be taught what it really means to have that heart in battle!”

July 16, 2015: Young says she and Dakhlalla “are extremely furious :( and sad” because their passports are have not arrived.

July 17, 2015: Young references Chattanooga military shootings that killed one sailor and four Marines the day before: “What makes me feel bettee after just watching the news is that an akhi carried out an attack against US marines in TN!”

July 26–27, 2015: Young to FBI Employee 2: “The things going on in Turkey are reaching here. Are the borders still ‘open’? We have been hearing about Turkey’s actions as well as In sha Allah, Dawlah will begin to expand into Europe soon.”

Young says Dakhlalla has received his passport and hers should arrived within a few days: We are sooooo happy!! We will apply for Turkish Visa!!!!!

July 30, 2015: Dakhlalla to FBI Employee 1 “We received our passports just recently. We will be making flight arrangements soon inshallah! Also sorry for replying so late but we have been planning and stressing and praying.”

July 31, 2015: Young: “We have applied for our visas and will have them soon and then we should be in Istanbul by next weekend. Ukhti, could you make sure the brother has a veil ready for me to wear? I feel ashamed to not wear one but I wouldn’t be able to leave as easily if at all.”

Aug. 1-3, 2015: Young says they have received their Turkish visas and they are preparing to make flight arrangements.

“Alhamdulillah, soon we will taste the freedom of Khalifah,” said Young.

Aug. 4, 2015: Young points out potential vulnerabilities of small town airports in the U.S.

“We will be flying direct. We live in a small town with a very small (poo) airport that doesn’t have much, if any, security. In fact when we go to Dawlah In sha Allah I can tell you about it. That’s one US weakness – small town’ airports have poor funding and less educated staff so it is easier to get through.”

Young says they will leave on Saturday and expect to be in Turkey by Sunday. She says they will choose outfits with logos so they can be easily recognized.

Aug. 7, 2015: Young and Dakhlalla purchase airline tickets for Delta Airlines Flight #5073 flying from Columbus, MS, with a final destination of Istanbul.

Aug. 8, 2015: Young and Dakhlalla are arrested at Golden Triangle Regional Airport in Columbus. Both confess to attempting to travel to Turkey to join ISIS.

A federal judge in Oxford denied bond for Young and Dakhlalla Tuesday morning.