Family of American Jailed in N. Korea Ask for Mercy

The family of an American Christian detained in North Korea is pleading for his release.

Jeffrey Edward Fowle, 56, has been detained for more than two months for so-called hostile acts against the country.

He's suspected of leaving a Bible in a nightclub in the northern city of Chongin.

Fowle's wife and children apologized to the North Korean government, asking for mercy.

In a statement, the family said they're "desperate for his release and return home."

"As you can imagine, Jeffrey is the primary financial provider for his family and [his wife] Tatyana is struggling to manage by herself," the family's lawyer, Timothy Tepe, said at Tuesday's news conference.

Fowle is the third U.S. citizen to be detained in North Korea.