American abducted in Zamboanga del Norte confirmed dead – police
![A man points to a believed to be bloodstain in the sand in Sibuco, Zamboanga del Norte on October 18, 2024, where abducted American national Elliot Onil Eastman was shot by gunmen. - Gunmen have abducted an American man living in the southern Philippines, shooting him in the leg and ferrying him away in a boat, police said on October 18. | Photo by AFP [FILE PHOTO]](https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/files/2024/12/Elliot-Onil-Eastman-1024x683.jpg)
A man points to a believed to be bloodstain in the sand in Sibuco, Zamboanga del Norte on October 18, 2024, where abducted American national Elliot Onil Eastman was shot by gunmen. | Photo by AFP [FILE PHOTO]
Lt. Col. Ramoncelio Sawan, acting information officer of the Police Regional Office 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula), said Elliot, 50, was fatally shot by his abductors when he resisted and died while being transported by motorboat away from his home in Barangay Poblacion, Sibuco on Oct. 17.
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“In the course of the investigation, the Critical Incident Management Task Group (CIMTG) ‘Eastman’ obtained information from a witness about the untimely death of Eastman on the night of his abduction,” Sawan said.
The witness reported that Elliot sustained two gunshot wounds during the struggle and that his body was thrown overboard after his death. Despite extensive search operations, Elliot’s body has not been recovered.
The CIMTG “Eastman” filed complaints for kidnapping and serious illegal detention against four identified suspects on Oct. 29.
Sawan said operatives arrested one of the suspects on Nov. 18, while two others remain at large. Efforts to apprehend all perpetrators were ongoing.
Elliot, a YouTube content creator and Vermont native who had been living in Sibuco for five months with his wife, a local resident, was taken at gunpoint from his home on the night of Oct. 17.
“The CIMTG assures that it is exhausting all resources to bring the perpetrators to justice,” Sawan said.
Elliot’s abduction and death have raised concerns over the safety of foreigners living in the area, and authorities reiterated their commitment to ensuring justice for the victim. (PNA)
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