Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Elliot Onal Eastman
had always been the kind of
person who embraced adventure.
Growing up in a small town inthe United States, he often
dreamed of traveling the worldand experiencing new cultures.
He had always been an explorerat heart, captivated by the idea
of living outside the bounds offamiliarity and comfort.
So when he first discovered thePhilippines during a solo
backpacking trip a few yearsearlier, he knew that he had
(00:21):
found something special.
Backpacking trip a few yearsearlier, he knew that he had
found something special.
Welcome to this episode ofHuman Wreckage.
He was an American abroad, atraveler, a son, a friend.
Elliot Ono Eastman left theUnited States in search of a new
chapter, finding himself in thePhilippines, a country of
vibrant culture, warm people and, for Elliot, a promise of fresh
(00:41):
beginnings.
But what began as a journey ofdiscovery ended in tragedy.
Let's get into it.
In 2023, elliot vanished undercircumstances that raised more
(01:24):
questions than answers.
Days later, his body wasdiscovered and with it the
horrifying truth Elliot OnalEastman had been kidnapped and
murdered.
The story barely madeinternational headlines A few
local reports, some social mediaspeculation, but beneath the
surface, there was something farmore disturbing a network of
deception, unanswered calls forhelp and the chilling
(01:47):
possibility that Elliot's deathwasn't random.
Why was he targeted?
Who was involved and why, evennow, do so many details remain
buried?
The people, the landscapes, theculture it all spoke to him.
It wasn't long before Elliotstarted to entertain the idea of
making the Philippines his home.
After spending several monthstraveling through different
(02:07):
parts of the country, elliotdecided to relocate permanently
In 2023, he moved to Cebuco, aquiet town in Zambonga del Norte
in the southern Philippines.
The stunning coastal views, theserene environment and the
friendly locals made it theperfect place to begin his new
life.
Elliot had always been an avidcontent creator and his YouTube
(02:31):
channel, which had started as asmall project documenting his
travels, blossomed into afull-time passion.
His channel, elliot in thePhilippines, chronicled his
experiences as an American inthe Philippines, showcasing the
local culture, food, people andhis personal journey.
His vlogs were a mixture ofadventure, humor and heartfelt
storytelling.
As his subscriber count grew,so did his love for the country
(02:52):
and its people.
He even found a partner in thePhilippines, marrying a local
woman who shared his love forthe country and for the kind of
life he wanted to build.
For Elliot, life seemed to befalling into place.
He had a growing onlinecommunity that appreciated his
authenticity, a supportive wifeand a peaceful existence in a
country he had come to love.
He felt like he was finallyliving the life he had always
(03:15):
dreamed of.
The evening of October 17, 2024started like any other for
Elliot.
He had spent the day filming avideo about the beautiful
beaches near Cebuco, capturingfootage of the waves crashing on
the shore and the localfishermen going about their
daily routines.
He was excited to edit thefootage that night and share it
with his growing audience.
It was a typical day in thelife of a content creator, a
(03:38):
blend of work and joy.
But as the sun dipped below thehorizon and night began to fall
, elliot's world was about tochange in the most brutal way
imaginable.
It was around 8 pm when Elliotheard a knock at the door.
He wasn't expecting anyone, sohe hesitated before opening it.
He lived in a modest house in aquiet neighborhood, far from
the bustle of city life.
(03:59):
When he opened the door, threemasked men stood on the other
side.
Armed and aggressive, theyquickly barged into his home
Without warning.
They overpowered him.
The men were well prepared.
One of them brandished ahandgun and before Elliot could
react, he was shot.
The first shot hit his leg,causing an explosion of pain.
He collapsed to the floor, buthis instincts kicked in.
(04:21):
Despite the injury, he tried tofight back, desperate to
protect himself.
But the attackers wererelentless.
The second shot struck hisabdomen, and that was when the
resistance stopped.
Elliot was left bleeding on thefloor, struggling to hold on to
consciousness.
The men didn't seem to carewhether he was alive or dead.
They pulled him to his feet,dragging him through his own
(04:43):
home, out the door and towardthe waiting boat on the shore.
It was clear that they had nointention of leaving him behind.
The attackers were not here fora simple robbery.
They had come for somethingelse, something much darker.
Elliot's body, heavy with painand the weight of his injuries,
was forcibly shoved onto theboat.
Despite his weakness, he foughtagainst his captors, but it was
(05:05):
no use.
He was hauled onto the boat andthe kidnappers set course
toward the Sulu Sea.
The sound of the boat's engineroared in the distance as Elliot
was taken away from everythinghe knew.
The news of the abduction spreadlike wildfire.
By the time local authoritieswere notified, the three
kidnappers had a significanthead start.
The Philippine National PolicePNP in coordination with the
(05:27):
military, immediately launched asearch operation.
The Sulu Sea is a vast,treacherous body of water and
the kidnappers knew the areawell.
It would be no easy task tofind Elliot or to find out what
had happened to him.
As the search efforts escalated, the Philippines National
Bureau of Investigation, nbi,joined in and the United States
government was notified.
(05:49):
Elliot's family and the US weredevastated by the news.
His mother, father and siblingswere in disbelief were
devastated by the news.
His mother, father and siblingswere in disbelief.
They had no idea why Elliot wastargeted, but the uncertainty
about his fate was unbearable.
Elliot's wife also, franticwith worry, immediately traveled
to Manila to meet with localauthorities, desperate for any
information on her husband'swhereabouts.
(06:09):
Elliot's YouTube community wasequally shaken.
His fans, who had followed hisjourney for months, were
horrified.
The videos he had uploadedabout the beauty of the
Philippines had given hisaudience a sense of the place,
the people and the lifestyle hehad come to love.
Now they were watching thehorror unfold in real time.
Messages of support poured infrom subscribers who had grown
(06:31):
attached to Elliot and hischannel.
People from all corners of theworld reached out to share their
thoughts, hoping that Elliotwould be found safe.
As the search continued, theauthorities began to consider
several possible theories forwhy Elliot had been targeted.
At first, the most obviousquestion was whether the
kidnapping had been financiallymotivated.
The Philippines, like manycountries, has had its share of
(06:54):
kidnappings for ransom,particularly in certain regions,
but there were no immediatedemands for money or any clear
indication that the kidnappershad been after a ransom.
Another possibility was thatthe abduction was a personal
matter.
Elliot had married a localwoman and some speculated that
the kidnapping might have beenlinked to a personal dispute.
His wife's family was wellknown in the area and, though
(07:16):
there had been no obvioustensions, there were whispers
about jealousy or hiddenrivalries.
However, these theories wereunsubstantiated and authorities
cautioned against jumping toconclusions.
The lack of communication fromthe kidnappers only deepened the
mystery.
There was no contact with thefamily, no ransom note, no
demands.
The kidnappers had not evenidentified themselves, leaving
(07:38):
authorities with few clues to goon.
Despite all the resources beingpoured into the search, there
were no breakthroughs.
The mystery surroundingElliot's disappearance only grew
more complex.
Weeks passed and the searchseemed to stall.
In early November, however,there was a breakthrough of
sorts.
Search seemed to stall.
In early November, however,there was a breakthrough of
(07:58):
sorts.
Philippine authorities receivedword that they had located the
men believed to be responsiblefor the abduction.
In a tense operation, militaryforces and police confronted the
kidnappers in the jungles ofthe region.
A firefight ensued.
Three men were killed.
During the clash.
The bodies of Mursid Ahad AbdulSaibad and Fahad Saibad were
identified.
They were known criminals withties to various local factions.
(08:20):
The confrontation, whilebringing some sense of justice,
did not answer the mostimportant question when was
Elliot?
Although the kidnappers weredead, there was still no sign of
Elliot.
The authorities believed thatthe men had been in possession
of vital information about hiswhereabouts, but they were
unable to extract any furtherdetails from the suspects before
they died.
A cloud of uncertainty hungover the investigation.
(08:43):
As November turned intoDecember, the chances of finding
Elliot alive continued todwindle.
The search, now focused on thewaters of the Sulu Sea, turned
up no traces of him.
Despite the diligent efforts ofthe Philippine Coast Guard and
the military, elliot's body wasnever recovered.
The hope of a successful rescuemission faded as the days wore
(09:04):
on.
For Elliot's family, the painof not knowing what had happened
to him was unbearable.
His wife, who had spentcountless hours speaking with
authorities, was left with noanswers.
The search had turned into awaiting game, waiting for any
shred of evidence that couldbring her husband home.
But as the months passed, thereality began to set in.
It was hard to imagine thatElliot, wounded and alone, had
(09:27):
survived the violent attack.
Elliot's disappearance affectedmore than just his family.
His online community, many ofwhom had never met him in person
, were devastated.
Over the years, elliot hadbuilt an online presence that
was genuine and engaging.
His followers had come to seehim not just as a YouTuber but
as a friend.
He had shared his life withthem, the good, the bad and the
(09:49):
ordinary.
His story was their story too.
In the weeks following hisabduction, fans from all over
the world expressed their sorrowand their disbelief.
Some created memorial pages inhis honor.
Others shared their favoritevideos of Elliot, celebrating
his adventurous spirit.
It was clear that Elliot hadtouched lives in ways that many
never expected.
(10:09):
His story, though tragic, wouldlive on in the hearts of those
who had followed his journey.
As the year drew to a close,there was still no closure.
Elliot Eastman remained missing.
His family and his wifecontinued to hope for a miracle,
even as the investigationseemed to stall.
The Philippine authorities haddone everything in their power,
but the outcome seemed to stall.
The Philippine authorities haddone everything in their power,
but the outcome seemedincreasingly grim.
(10:31):
In the end, elliot'sdisappearance is a stark
reminder of the dangers that canlurk in even the most beautiful
and peaceful places.
It serves as a tragicillustration of how quickly a
life can be changed, how quicklyit can be taken.
For Elliot's family and thosewho loved him, the waiting
continues, and for the millionswho followed his journey, his
story is a painful reminder ofthe unpredictable fragility of
(10:54):
life.
As of December 2024, elliotEastman's fate remains unknown.
His story is still unfoldingand though the hope of finding
him alive has all but vanished,the search for answers continues
.
Elliot Onal Eastman's journey tothe Philippines was supposed to
be a new beginning, a chance toexperience a different world,
to start fresh, to live freely,but instead it ended with an
(11:16):
unthinkable act of violence, farfrom the people and places he
once called home.
As we've explored over the pastepisodes, elliot's
disappearance wasn't just atragic accident or a case of
being in the wrong place at thewrong time.
It was a failure of systems ofjustice and of international
response.
A young man was kidnapped andmurdered, and yet so many
(11:36):
questions remain unanswered.
Who was truly behind his death?
Why weren't warnings he sharedtaken seriously?
And why, despite his family'stireless efforts, has
accountability remained sodistant?
Elliot was more than a victim.
He wasless efforts.
His accountability remains sodistant.
Elliot was more than a victim.
He was a brother, a son, afriend, and though he's gone,
his story must not fade.
By telling it, by giving voiceto his life and the injustice
(11:59):
surrounding his death, we honorhis memory and we shine a light
on the dangers others still facein silence.
There are thousands ofAmericans living, working and
traveling abroad right now.
Elliot's case reminds us thatnot all of them come home.
And when they don't, we owe itto them and to their families to
ask hard questions, demandbetter answers and refuse to let
(12:19):
their stories disappear.
Thank you, outro Music.