Body of Austin Tice, Kidnapped U.S. Journalist, Reportedly Found in Syria

The remains of Austin Tice, an American journalist and Marine veteran abducted in Syria over a decade ago, have reportedly been uncovered in a northern Syrian cemetery, stirring a mix of closure and lingering questions. Tice, who would be 43 today, vanished in Damascus in August 2012 while reporting on the Syrian civil war’s early chaos for outlets like The Washington Post and McClatchy.

A captain in the Marine Corps, Tice ventured to Syria as an independent journalist before his final year at Georgetown Law School. His last known moments surfaced in a chilling video weeks after his disappearance, showing him blindfolded, surrounded by armed men, and murmuring, “Oh, Jesus.” No further trace of him emerged until this recent discovery, reported by Sky News Arabia and cited by the Jerusalem Post.

The timing of Tice’s reported death remains unclear, as does the path that led his body to that cemetery. This development follows Syria’s recent pledge to aid in locating Tice, a promise tied to potential sanctions relief amid its war-ravaged economy. Rebels’ seizure of Damascus in December, toppling Bashar al-Assad, had briefly rekindled hopes of finding Tice alive. Then-President Biden, in a public address, expressed cautious optimism, stating, “We believe he’s alive. We think we can get him back.” Yet, for 12 years, Tice’s family clung to hope, sustained by sporadic U.S. intelligence on his whereabouts.

Syria long denied holding Tice, despite U.S. back-channel talks, including under the Biden administration, often mediated by Lebanese intermediaries. The State Department has yet to confirm the latest reports. For now, the discovery of Tice’s body marks a somber end to a saga that gripped a nation, leaving behind questions that may never be answered.