Authorities: Colorado teen fell in love with ISIS fighter, arrested on her way to join him

A Denver teenager looking for love has instead found herself in a lot of trouble.

Federal authorities say that Shannon Maureen Conley, 19, of Arvada, Colorado met an ISIS fighter online, and was instantly smitten. She planned on traveling to Syria to aid the cause, but was arrested April 8 at the Denver International Airport by FBI agents and charged with conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization.

Conley, a certified nurse's aid, had told her online paramour — who, according to Conley's parents, is a 32-year-old Tunisian — that she would act as a nurse for his fellow fighters. She also planned on becoming his wife and living with him near the Turkish border.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

On Wednesday, the court documents from April 9 were unsealed, and they spell out how Conley planned on joining her future husband. "Conley stated that she was aware her plans were potentially illegal and she could possibly get arrested, and therefore she has no intention to return to the U.S.," the affidavit read. She also told investigators she would engage in combat if she had to, "but she wouldn't like it."

In December, Conley spoke with investigators following an incident where she behaved strangely at Faith Bible Chapel in Arvada, the affidavit said. She said she joined the U.S. Army Explorers and was going to use the training overseas, and "also intended to train Islamic Jihadi fighters in U.S. military tactics." The affidavit also said she had wanted to serve in the U.S. military but didn't believe it would accept her religious beliefs.

At the time, the investigators attempted to veer Conley away from her goal of joining ISIS, and asked her parents — who did not approve of her plan — to help.