What happened to American YouTuber Elliot Eastman? Authorities in the Philippines fear he might have died after armed kidnapping

Elliot Eastman, a 26-year-old American YouTuber, is presumed dead after a harrowing kidnapping incident in the Philippines. On October 17, 2024, Eastman was reportedly abducted by four gunmen posing as police officers in the coastal town of Sibuco, Zamboanga del Norte. During the abduction, Eastman was shot twice with an M16 rifle while attempting to resist.

Despite his efforts, he was forcibly taken onto a motorboat, and the kidnappers sped off. Although his body has not been recovered, the police believe he is deceased, based on recent suspect evidence.

---

"If it comes to a point where I'm kidnapped...": Elliot Eastman seemingly foreshadows his own kidnapping

According to the authorities, Elliot Eastman is most likely deceased (Images via @espectanoticias/X)

Philippine authorities launched an extensive search operation, which led to the arrest of several suspects and the death of three others in a gunfight. A recently arrested key suspect provided crucial information, claiming that Eastman succumbed to his injuries while being transported by the kidnappers. According to the suspect, Eastman's body was thrown into the sea after he died.

In a statement released before his kidnapping, Elliot seemingly foreshadowed his unfortunate situation:

"And if it comes to the point where it's like, all of a sudden I'm kidnapped, and something's gonna happen to me... I'm going to ask myself... I don't know..."

Eastman had been living in the Philippines for about 18 months, documenting his life in the remote town of Sibuco on his YouTube channel. At the time of the tragic incident, he was in Sibuco to attend his wife's graduation. The U.S. Embassy in Manila has been informed of the situation and is communicating closely with local authorities.

A spokesperson from the Philippine National Police, Jean Fajardo, spoke about the kidnapping and claimed that Elliot Eastman's situation is not typical of other kidnappings, mainly because the victims aren't usually injured:

"One of the things we are looking at is that normally kidnapping groups do not initially hurt their victims, but this was different since the victim was injured."

---

In other news, Mexican YouTuber Miguel "El Jasper" Vivanco, known for his collaborations with influencers like Markitos Toys and Cristo Rich, was tragically murdered in November 2024, in a case related to the cartel.