Detained Osama Bin Laden Hunter Gary Faulkner 'on His Way Home'

June 22, 2010 — -- Gary Brooks Faulkner, the American man who was on a lone wolf mission to kill Osama bin Laden before he was detained in Pakistan, is "on his way home," the man's family told ABC News.

Faulkner, 51, a construction worker who lived in Greeley, Colorado, was arrested June 13 attempting to cross into Afghanistan in the mountainous region of northern Pakistan. He was armed with a pistol, sword, night vision goggles, a map and was reportedly carrying Christian literature.

When he was arrested, Faulkner told police he was intent on avenging the victims of the 9/11 terror attacks by killing bin Laden.

"He said he was being released. He's on his way home," said Dr. Scott Faulkner, who spoke with his brother Gary today. "He said he was treated well but he can't wait to get back to the good ol' U.S. of A.

"Apparently, he did not have access to television, radio, or newsprint," Scott Faulkner said. "And so, he said that he would let me know when he would be coming home. But, it sounded like it was imminent."

During Faulkner's detention, his family worried about his health due to a failing kidney that required dialysis treatment. When American officials visited Faulkner with a doctor Islamabad, Pakistan, they said he was in "good spirits" but needed dialysis, according to the family.

Scott Faulkner told ABC News Monday that his brother recieved the treatment.

The family is "tickled" he's on his way back, Faulkner's brother-in-law John Martin said.

"The family welcomes him. We'll give him a hug and go from there," he said.

The State Department did not confirm Faulkner's release.

Family Says Faulkner Is Patriotic, Not Crazy

Martin said Faulkner talked openly with the family about his plans to hunt down the al Qaeda leader.

"He's a very deeply religious individual, very patriotic," Martin said on June 15. "It seemed to be his thing. He thought it should be done and he thought he could accomplish it."

Bin Laden has evaded one of the largest international manhunts in history and remains on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list.

Martin said Faulkner was not trained in any way for a seek-and-destroy mission and had no military training, though he had been to the region before. Faulkner's brother Scott said he was trained in martial arts and a sword and dagger were his "weapons of choice."

"We initially laughed when he told us he wanted to kill Osama bin Laden," one official, Mumtaz Ahmad Khan, said after the arrest, according to The Associated Press.

Faulkner also has an arrest record and spent time in Colorado prisons, according to public records.

It is illegal to carry weapons without a license in Pakistan, but no formal charges have been brought against Faulkner.

Brother: Faulkner Would Enjoy Attention for 'Waking America Up'

While going on such a mission in hostile territory alone and with no training to find the most wanted man on the planet may have seemed ridiculous to many, Faulkner's brother said he had made several trips to the area to reconnoiter bin Laden's possible location -- and believed he had found the cave where the al Qaeda leader was hiding.

Scott Faulkner said last week that his brother had "stood at its entrance, possibly within 100 feet" of where he believe his target was living.

If his brother's mission failed and even if he died trying, Scott Faulkner said his brother would "love" the media attention.

"It's waking America back up. ... The fact that it's bringing it back in the forefront of the American psyche, now there's hopefully going to be a renewed effort to get this guy," Scott Faulkner said.

While Faulkner was likely aware of the hefty $25 million reward for information leading to bin Laden's arrest, Martin said the cause was more important to his brother-in-law.

"The inspiration was more important to him than the money," he said.

Scott Faulkner told CNN Tuesday his brother is "highly intelligent" and "has not forgotten what Osama has done to this country."

"I think probably every family member out there has a non-traditional family member," Martin said. "Ours is just maybe more newsworthy than some sometimes."

Already Facebook groups have popped up declaring Faulkner a hero and patriot -- a faked personal page features an action figure in the profile picture -- but Martin stopped short of agreeing.

"If he accomplished it, he damn sure would've been tagged that, wouldn't he?" he said.