A missing American vlogger was shot dead and his body dumped at sea during a botched kidnapping in the Philippines, police have said.
Elliot Eastman, 26, reportedly died on the night of his abduction from his home in the poverty-stricken town of Sibuco in Zamboanga del Norte on October 17.
It is believed he was shot in the leg while trying to resist the gunmen, who pretended to be police officers, but died while being whisked away on a boat.
Pictures from the scene show blood splattered along the ground where he was dragged away after being shot. Three suspects were later shot dead by police in a gunfight on November 12.
Speaking today, Lieutenant Colonel Ramoncelio Sawan, the Police Regional Office (PRO)-Zamboanga Peninsula acting spokesman, said: ‘Sometime late October, during our investigation, we encountered one witness who claimed Eastman had been shot during the abduction.
‘On their way to escape by sea, the abductors noticed that Elliot Eastman was already dead. They threw his body into the water.’
He said officials had treated the testimony as speculation, before it was this week verified by a suspect allegedly involved in the abduction.
He continued: ‘But then later on, sometime in November, we caught a suspect linked to the kidnapping. He himself confirmed what happened. He confirmed Elliot had been shot and that the man was dumped overboard.
Elliot Eastman, 26, (pictured) reportedly died on the night of his abduction from his home in the poverty-stricken town of Sibuco in Zamboanga del Norte on October 17
US YouTuber Elliot Eastman was kidnapped from a remote Philippines village just months after marrying a local woman (left)
‘This suspect was able to execute an extrajudicial confession and then we submitted it to the Prosecutor’s Office where we filed the complaint. The prosecutors accepted it.’
Eastman’s family has been informed through the US Embassy, the police spokesman added.
Authorities have hoped for weeks that Eastman was alive and have been frantically searching for the missing expat.
The operation resulted in clashes with armed kidnapping groups on the conflict-torn island of Mindanao.
Police said they are yet to find Eastman’s body and have not clarified the motive behind the abduction.
The American YouTuber was reportedly in the house with his Muslim Filipina wife Karisha Jala when four armed men allegedly burst through the door around 10pm on October 17.
The attackers falsely claimed they were police and reportedly shot the expat in the leg when he tried to resist.
He was then bundled away in a speedboat off the coast of Zamboanga del Norte – one of the most dangerous parts of the notoriously crime-ridden country.
Eastman had recently married a local woman Karisha Jala, who lived with him in a concrete shack belonging to his father-in-law
Pictured: FBI agents investigate the abduction of Elliot Eastman in the Philippines
Police arrived at around 11pm and took pictures of the suspected crime scene. Blood believed to be from Elliot’s gunshot wound was smeared across a length of vinyl flooring.
An empty bullet cartridge from an M16 rifle could also be seen alongside everyday items including a hat, handbag and food.
Former Sibuco Mayor Norbideiri Edding said kidnappers may have targetted the American because they thought he was a rich foreigner and resented that he was living with a local Muslim woman.
He also claimed Elliot had been facing financial difficulties after allegedly being scammed by his previous girlfriend whom he had planned to marry.
Just weeks before he was abducted, Eastman posted said on a Facebook livestream that he was afraid of living in the area, where he had been for about five months, according to police.
‘As long as I’m here, my life is still at risk, you know,’ Eastman said on September 22.
‘That’s the reality. especially the area that I’m in….It’s not even just the Philippines.
‘This area that I’m in is like the most dangerous are in the country so it’s literally like the red zone.’
Just weeks before he was abducted, Eastman posted said on a Facebook livestream that he was afraid of living in the area. Pictured: FBI officers join the search
The Philippines’ southern region has been grappling with constant separatist attacks for decades.
A Muslim enclave in the predominantly Catholic country, it is also a notorious hub for violent extremist groups such as the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Islamic State-linked Abu Sayyaf.
Efforts toward peace have seen progress, with a 2014 peace agreement and the creation of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in 2019. However, sporadic clashes with extremist factions and ongoing poverty continue to challenge long-term stability.