Despite denials, apparently Al-Moqrin is still dead. From AP, :
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — An al-Qaida cell fulfilled its threat to kill an American hostage, beheading him and showing the grisly photos on the Internet. Saudi officials claimed they later gunned down four militants including the cell leader who allegedly masterminded Paul M. Johnson’s kidnapping.
State-run television showed pictures of the four slain militants’ bodies Saturday. Among them was one it said was Abdulaziz al-Moqrin, the reputed leader of al-Qaida in Saudi Arabia and Saudi Arabia’s most-wanted terror suspect.
Hours earlier, a message on an Islamic militant Web site said the reports of al-Moqrin’s saying were false. The message could not immediately be verified, but it appeared on a Web site that has had similar messages in the past.
A U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity Friday had confirmed al-Moqrin’s killing, while a Saudi official had said forensic tests would confirm its identity.