DENVER — A relative of an American on a solo mission to hunt down Usama bin Laden says the Colorado man is being released by the Pakistani government without charges.
Gary Faulkner, of Greeley, was detained June 13 in the woods of northern Pakistan after being found with a pistol, a sword and night-vision equipment. The 50-year-old told officials he was out to kill the al-Qaida leader. Faulkner was then moved to Islamabad, and a relative told The Associated Press on Tuesday that he was being released to American authorities there and would return to the U.S. “very soon.”
The relative didn’t want to be identified because a family-designated spokesman hadn’t yet confirmed the release. The spokesman didn’t immediately return calls from The Associated Press. Faulkner’s brother, Scott Faulkner, told AP he’d heard the news of the release plans but wasn’t ready to comment.
Gary Faulkner is an out-of-work construction worker who sold his tools to finance six trips on what relatives have called a Rambo-type mission to kill or capture bin Laden. He grew his hair and beard long to fit in better.