Kidnapping of Elliot Eastman

Last updated

Elliot Eastman
Elliot Eastman.jpg
Eastman in February 2024
Born
Elliot Onil Eastman [1]

1997or1998
DisappearedOctober 17, 2024 (aged 26)
Sitio Tungawan, Poblacion, Sibuco, Zamboanga del Norte, Philippines
OccupationContent creator
Spouse
Karisha Jala
(m. 2023)
YouTube information
Channel
Years active2015–2024
Genre Vlog
Subscribers5.1 thousand [2]
Total views854.8 thousand [2]
Contents are inEnglish

On October 17, 2024, Elliot Eastman, an American YouTuber residing in the Philippines, was kidnapped and wounded by armed men from his home in Sibuco, Zamboanga del Norte. Police reports have stated he was shot in the leg and abdomen and was last seen being dragged into a boat into the Sulu Sea. [3] The suspects were identified as Mursid Ahod, Abdul Sahibad, and Fahad Sahibad. [4] As of December 2024, he is presumed dead and rescue operations are still ongoing. [5]

Contents

Background

Eastman was a 26-year-old man from Hinesburg, Vermont, who graduated from Champlain Valley Union High School in 2016. [6] Eastman first travelled to the Philippines in 2023. In July of that same year, he married Karisha Jala, a Sama-Sibuco native. [5] [7] [8]

He returned to the United States briefly for work. In May 2024, he settled in the municipality of Sibuco, Zamboanga del Norte, in the Philippines to live with his Filipino wife. [6] [7] [9]

Kidnapping and apparent death

On October 17, 2024, Eastman was abducted from his home in Sibuco. He was shot in the leg and abdomen to prevent his escape. The men escaped with Eastman via a motorized banca towards the Sulu Sea. [10] The perpetrators never released their demands for ransom or proof of his life as of December 6, 2024. Two months after the kidnapping, the police concluded in December that he is likely dead (possibly having bled to death from his wounds) and that his body was thrown into the Sulu Sea by the perpetrators. [5] [11]

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References

  1. Gomez, Jim (December 5, 2024). "Philippine police checking reports that a kidnapped American has died after being shot". AP News. Associated Press. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
  2. 1 2 "About Elliot Eastman". YouTube.
  3. Laput, Gualberto; Carreon, Frencie (October 18, 2024). "Armed group abducts American in Zamboanga del Norte". Rappler . Retrieved December 9, 2024.
  4. JOVILAND, RITA (November 13, 2024). "3 persons of interest in Eastman abduction killed in clash —police". GMA News .
  5. 1 2 3 Agonoy, Leah (December 6, 2024). "American vlogger died during abduction – PNP". Philippine Daily Inquirer . Retrieved December 9, 2024.
  6. 1 2 Keays, Alan (December 5, 2024). "Police say they believe Vermonter abducted in Philippines has died, citing suspect's testimony". VTDigger . Retrieved December 9, 2024.
  7. 1 2 "American Man Kidnapped, Taken Away on Boat in Philippines, Police Say". New York Times . October 18, 2024. Archived from the original on November 11, 2024. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
  8. Carreon, Frencie (December 5, 2024). "Search for abducted American shifts from rescue to recovery effort". Rappler . Retrieved December 9, 2024.
  9. "Philippines police say Elliot Eastman, American YouTuber shot during kidnapping, likely died of gunshot wounds". CBS News . December 5, 2024. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
  10. Laput, Gualberto; Carreon, Frencie (October 18, 2024). "Armed group abducts American in Zamboanga del Norte". Rappler . Retrieved December 18, 2024.
  11. https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/06/asia/american-abducted-in-philippines-presumed-dead-intl-hnk/index.html