The 31 year old seasoned reporter was killed by the Islamic militant group , the so-called Islamic State (IS) which posted a video showing his murder by beheading. Sotloff was very familiar with the Middle East, having covered conflicts there for many years over the past decade. A native of Miami (USA), he was a highly respected freelance journalist who worked for Time magazine, Foreign Policy and World Affairs. He was seized in Syria in 2013.