Elliot Eastman, an American man from Vermont, is presumed dead after being abducted in the Philippines, police said Thursday, CNN reports, citing The Associated Press.
Eastman, who had been living in Sibuco, Mindanao, with his wife and documenting his life on YouTube, was taken on October 17.
According to Lt. Col. Ramoncelio Sawan, regional police spokesman, a witness reported seeing Eastman shot twice by his abductors during his abduction. The witness stated that Eastman’s body was subsequently thrown overboard.
“We are constrained to believe that he has died. All of the information that we have points to that,” Sawan told the AP
While police are working to verify the witness account and locate Eastman’s body, the evidence currently suggests he is deceased.
The abduction occurred in Sibuco, a region of Mindanao known for its history of insurgency. While Mindanao is home to several Islamist insurgent groups, police have stated that Eastman’s abduction is unlikely linked to these groups.
The US State Department currently advises against travel to Mindanao due to concerns about crime, terrorism, civil unrest, and kidnapping.
In the course of their investigation, police have made several arrests, with three suspects killed in a separate gunbattle last month.
