Kidnapping of Elliot Eastman

On October 17, 2024, Elliot Eastman, an American YouTuber residing in the Philippines, was kidnapped and wounded by armed men from his home in Sibuco, Zamboanga del Norte. Police reports have stated he was shot in the leg and abdomen and was last seen being dragged into a boat into the Sulu Sea. The suspects were identified as Mursid Ahod, Abdul Sahibad, and Fahad Sahibad. As of December 2024, he is presumed dead and rescue operations are still ongoing.

Background

Eastman was a 26-year-old man from Hinesburg, Vermont, who graduated from Champlain Valley Union High School in 2016. Eastman first travelled to the Philippines in 2023. In July of that same year, he married Karisha Jala, a Sama-Sibuco native.
He returned to the United States briefly for work. In May 2024, he settled in the municipality of Sibuco, Zamboanga del Norte, in the Philippines to live with his Filipino wife.

Kidnapping and apparent death

On October 17, 2024, Eastman was abducted from his home in Sibuco. He was shot in the leg and abdomen to prevent his escape. The men escaped with Eastman via a motorized banca towards the Sulu Sea. The perpetrators never released their demands for ransom or proof of his life as of December 6, 2024. Two months after the kidnapping, the police concluded in December that he is likely dead and that his body was thrown into the Sulu Sea by the perpetrators.