ZAMBOANGA, Philippines – Authorities have shifted from a rescue operation to a recovery effort in the search for American YouTuber Elliot Eastman, with investigators saying it is increasingly unlikely that the abducted content creator is still alive.
The 26-year-old from Vermont, United States, was snatched by armed men on October 17 in Sitio Tungawan, Barangay Poblacion in the coastal town of Sibuco, Zamboanga del Norte.
Initial reports at that time said Eastman was shot in the leg when he resisted the gunmen as they forced him from a house to a boat. But the police now say Eastman was shot multiple times, citing accounts from a witness and a suspect.
Lieutenant Colonel Ramoncelio Sawan, spokesperson for PNP-Zamboanga Peninsula, said an arrested suspect admitted in November that Eastman had died, claiming his body was abandoned in waters off Zamboanga shortly after the abduction. The extrajudicial confession aligned with a witness account provided in October.
Sawan said the remains of Eastman have not been found, but efforts continue.
The Eastman family has been notified through the US Embassy in Manila, he added.
Eastman, a YouTube content creator, had been living in Mindanao for five months with his Filipino wife, Karisha Jala, a Sama Sibuco native. There, he struggled financially.
Authorities continued to investigate his abduction, and noted the absence of any ransom demand or claim of responsibility.
Sawan said police were working with the Marines and local law enforcement to pursue leads but have yet to determine the motive for the abduction.
On October 29, police filed kidnapping and serious illegal detention charges against six suspects at the Zamboanga del Norte Prosecutor’s Office. Three of the suspects remain at large.
Before the abduction, Eastman was sharing his life in Zamboanga del Norte through vlogs, candidly discussing his relationships, struggles, and fears. His videos revealed tension with his father, a close bond with his grandparents, and the absence of his mother from his narrative.
His videos also suggested that he was aware of the risks of him living the Zamboanga del Norte town. – Rappler.com