Our hearts go out to the family of Otto Frederick Warmbier, the young American detained by North Korea in January 2016, who died Monday, just six days following his release from North Korean captivity. He was returned to the U.S. in a coma, which apparently he had been in since his sentencing in March 2016. “It is our sad duty to report that our son, Otto Warmbier, has completed his journey home,” the family said in a statement. Warmbier was accused of stealing a propaganda banner, and was sentenced last year to 15 years of hard labor. The U.S. Department of State negotiated his release, which, according to the North Koreans, was authorized “on humanitarian grounds.” In an interview with Tucker Carlson, Otto’s father Fred Warmbier said they received invaluable help from the Trump administration and special U.S. envoy Joseph Y. Yun, who interceded on their behalf. “He was very helpful to Cindy and I, and we are really thankful for him. We’re also thankful to [Secretary of State] Rex Tillerson and President Trump. They wanted Otto home, and Cindy and I believe they made this happen, so we’re thankful for that.”

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