Trending Now - Kidnapped Journalist Noted for Fearless Reporting Amid Warnings

WHO:

AP - Shelly Kittleson is a Wisconsin native who left Wisconsin in 1995 at the age of 19 and first moved to Italy.

AP - Kittleson worked as a translator for the Italian news agency ANSA in 2011.

AP - Shelly Kittleson has lived abroad for years, using Rome as her base for a time and building a respected journalism career across the Middle East.

AP - Patrizio Nissirio stated, “She is a great reporter and always wants to go to areas where no one wants to go.”

AP - Shelly Kittleson, an American freelance journalist, age 49.

AP - Patrizio Nissirio, a former editor at Italian news agency ANSA, who has known Kittleson since 2011.

AP - Barb Kittleson, Shelly's mother.

ABC News - U.S. and Iraqi officials.

WHAT:

AP - Kittleson was last seen on March 31st, 2026, after being forced into a car by two men at a busy Baghdad intersection, as shown in surveillance camera footage.

AP - Kittleson expressed that she had mounting financial strain and had no assignments while in Baghdad.

AP - Kittleson was last seen on March 31st, 2026, after being forced into a car by two men at a busy Baghdad intersection, as shown in surveillance camera footage.

AP - Kittleson expressed financial strain, stating she had no assignments while in Baghdad and had long struggled financially, living a frugal existence.

AP - Kittleson was kidnapped on March 31st, 2026, after being forced into a car by two men in Baghdad.

AP - Kittleson was known for pursuing low-budget assignments and often worked without formal assignments from editors.

AP - Kittleson published her most recent story on March 30th, 2026, in the Italian newspaper Il Foglio, focusing on the effect of the Iran war on Iraq’s Kurdish region.

ABC News - U.S. officials warned Kittleson of threats from a militia group before her kidnapping.

WHERE:

AP - The kidnapping occurred at a busy intersection in Baghdad, Iraq.

AP - Kittleson had been in Syria before attempting to enter Iraq at the border crossing in al-Qaim.

WHEN:

AP - Kittleson published her most recent story on March 30th, 2026, in the Italian newspaper Il Foglio.

AP - Kittleson was in Syria on March 9th, 2026, before entering Iraq from Jordan after being turned back at the border by Iraqi intelligence officers.

AP - Kittleson was kidnapped on March 31st, 2026.

AP - Kittleson had a conversation with her mother on March 30th, 2026, where she sent pictures.

AP - Kittleson was in Syria on March 9th, 2026, before entering Iraq.

WHY:

AP - Kittleson did not believe the threat against her was credible, despite being warned by U.S. officials hours before her kidnapping.

AP - Kittleson did not believe the threat against her was credible, despite being warned by U.S. officials hours before her kidnapping.

AP - Kittleson believed her work was valuable in dangerous areas, despite warnings about threats.

AP - Kittleson expressed financial strain and had no assignments while in Baghdad.

HOW:

AP - Kittleson often traveled alone, carrying heavy belongings with her at all times, and operated without the backing of a larger news organization.

AP - Kittleson often traveled alone, carrying heavy belongings with her at all times, and operated without the backing of a larger news organization.

AP - Kittleson often traveled alone, using shared taxis to reach lawless areas in Iraq.

AP - Kittleson relied on the support of Iraqi journalists and often lived frugally, sleeping on couches to make ends meet.

(UPDATED April 2, 2026 15:18 UTC)

Shelly Kittleson, a Wisconsin native who moved to Italy in 1995, was last seen on Tuesday, after being forced into a car by two men at a busy intersection in Baghdad, as captured by surveillance footage. Kittleson, who had been facing financial strain and had no assignments in the city, published her most recent story just a day earlier in the Italian newspaper Il Foglio. Despite receiving warnings from U.S. officials about a potential threat, she did not believe it was credible and often traveled alone, carrying heavy belongings without the support of a larger news organization.

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(UPDATED April 2, 2026 07:20 UTC)

Shelly Kittleson, a respected journalist who has built her career in the Middle East, was last seen on Tuesday after being forced into a car by two men at a busy intersection in Baghdad, as captured by surveillance footage. Despite expressing financial strain and having no assignments while in the city, Kittleson had recently traveled from Syria into Iraq, believing the threats against her were not credible, even after warnings from U.S. officials. Known for her independent reporting style, she often traveled alone and carried her belongings with her, operating without the support of a larger news organization.

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(UPDATED April 2, 2026 01:24 UTC)

American freelance journalist Shelly Kittleson was kidnapped on Tuesday, after being forced into a car by two men at a busy intersection in Baghdad. Known for her low-budget assignments, Kittleson had recently published a story on the impact of the Iran war on Iraq’s Kurdish region and had been warned by U.S. officials about threats from a militia group prior to her abduction. She had been in Syria earlier in March and was relying on the support of local journalists while living frugally in Iraq, often traveling alone and using shared taxis to reach dangerous areas.