The body of American journalist and Marine veteran Austin Tice, who was abducted in Syria 12 years ago, has been discovered, according to a report.
The remains of Tice, who would be 43 now, were reportedly discovered in a cemetery located in northern Syria, according to sources who spoke to Sky News Arabia on Sunday via the Jerusalem Post.
The State Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for confirmation.
Tice was a former Marine Corps captain who traveled to Syria as a freelance journalist in May 2012, just before his final academic year at Georgetown Law School. In August 2012, while documenting the rebellion against the Bashar al-Assad government at the onset of the Syrian civil war, he was captured in Damascus.
Syria has consistently denied any involvement in the abduction or detention of the American journalist. However, despite years of reported secret negotiations, including efforts facilitated by Lebanese intermediaries during the Biden administration, no progress was made.
Rebels seized the capital city of Damascus in December, ousting Assad and renewing hope in the effort to bring Tice home.
Debra Tice, mother of Austin Tice, speaks during a news conference updating the media about her eldest son’s condition as the family continues to push for his release on Dec. 6, 2024, at the National Press Club in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Then-President Biden expressed some hope regarding Tice in a public address at the time, saying, “We believe he’s alive. We think we can get him back, but we have no direct evidence to that yet.”
Debra Tice is seen in Damascus, Syria, on Jan. 18, 2025. (REUTERS/Yamam Al Shaar)
In the 12 years that Tice remained missing, his family believed he was still alive. Reports have suggested the U.S. had received intermittent information pertaining to his whereabouts.
Tice, a Texas native, was covering events in Syria for McClatchy, The Washington Post and other news organizations when he disappeared.
Fox News Digital’s Caitlin McFall and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
