Philippine authorities are investigating reports that American YouTuber Elliot Eastman, previously kidnapped, has been shot and killed.
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Eastman, 26, was reportedly shot twice while attempting to resist an abduction by armed men on October 17 in the coastal town of Sibuco, located in Zamboanga del Norte province. The incident was reported by the Associated Press and local media outlet GMA Regional TV, both citing information from police sources.
The YouTuber has been living in the Philippines since May after first visiting the country a year earlier. This is where he met his now-wife, Karisha Jala Eastman. The couple married in July 2023, and after a brief trip back to the US, he moved permanently to his wife’s hometown, according to local police.
According to AP, police believe Eastman, a Vermont native, was abducted by four men impersonating police officers. He was reportedly forced onto a speedboat, locally known as a banca, which then quickly sped away.
The Police Regional Office-Zamboanga (PRO-9) revealed on Thursday, December 5, that a witness reported Eastman had died on the night of his abduction while aboard the banca, per GMA Regional TV.
The witness reportedly claimed that the abductors threw Eastman’s body into the ocean. However, despite extensive search efforts, police have yet to recover the body.
Authorities Are ‘Still Leaving a Little Bit of Hope’ That Elliot Eastman is Still Alive
Lt. Col. Ramoncelio Sawan said a relative of a suspect reported that Eastman died from gunshot wounds to his thigh and abdomen while being taken by his abductors. The relative also claimed that the abductors later dumped Eastman’s body into the ocean.
Sawan revealed that a key suspect recently arrested in connection with the abduction confirmed details surrounding the YouTuber’s death. The suspect’s sworn statement has since been submitted to government prosecutors, according to AP.
“We are constrained to believe that he has died. All of the information that we have points to that,” Sawan explained per AP. However, since Eastman’s body hasn’t been recovered, he insisted that “we’re still leaving a little bit of hope that it may not be the case.”
The search for Eastman and his abductors resulted in several arrests. Meanwhile, three suspects were reportedly killed in a gunfight with police last month.
“We would like to assure the public that PRO 9 CIMTG Eastman is exhausting all available resources to arrest them,” police explained, per GMA Regional TV. “PRO 9 would like to assure the public that the ongoing investigation will eventually result in the complete resolution of the case. All perpetrators will be made accountable for this crime.”
Eastman shared his final YouTube video on October 15, just two days before his reported kidnapping. The video showed him eating noodles while sitting in a deck chair. Other clips included Eastman practicing yoga and filming the heavy rainfall in the area.
According to the AP, Sawan stated that police had informed Eastman’s Filipino wife, as well as the U.S. Embassy in Manila, about his reported death.