‘Jihad Jane’s’ extreme views were unknown to her Penn state neighbours

NEW YORK - The Pennsylvania woman linked this week to an alleged terrorist plot involving militant Muslims was not known in her neighbourhood for her extreme religious views.

There were no religious books or hangings in her apartment, several neighbours said, and, according to the New York Post, she never spoke about her religion.

But to the people monitoring her life online, the woman, Colleen R. LaRose, was a terrorist sympathizer known by her Internet name Jihad Jane who had expressed a desire to become a martyr for an Islamist cause.

According to a federal indictment unsealed Tuesday, LaRose, 46, was intent on reaping revenge against a Swedish artist who depicted the prophet Muhammad atop the body of a dog.

LaRose, who is white and has blond hair and green eyes, boasted that she could go anywhere undetected.

In August, she traveled to Sweden carrying the American passport of her companion, Kurt Gorman, which the authorities say she stole and planned to give to one of her co-conspirators in a plot to kill the artist.

All of this came as a shock to Sheldon G. Barnum, LaRose’s ex-husband.

“This is not what I knew her to be,” said Barnum, who was married to Ms. LaRose in the 1980s.

“I don’t know what she got into later in life,” he added.

Neighbours in Pennsburg, 50 miles northwest of Philadelphia, said LaRose made no secret about having converted to Islam.

She did not, however, show signs of her faith, said Kristy Newell, who lived across the hall.

Of the 27 or so YouTube videos LaRose posted, most were training videos or violent scenes that she had lifted from jihadi Web sites.

On Wednesday, YouTube had removed all of LaRose’s videos.

LaRose was arrested October 15 in Philadelphia and charged with conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, conspiracy to kill in a foreign country, making false statements to a government official and attempted identity theft. She is now in custody. (ANI)