38-year-old New York man reportedly shot dead in Chile holiday horror

STATEN ISLAND, NY – A 38-year-old Staten Island man who disappeared while vacationing in Santiago, Chile, has been found shot dead, according to his family.

US officials have confirmed the death of Eric Garvin of Stapleton.

A source familiar with the investigation told SIlive.com that the United States is “closely monitoring” local authorities’ investigation into the cause of death.

According to Chilean news publication Chvnoticias and a Facebook post from his family, Garvin is believed to have been shot multiple times on January 14, during a robbery. He had gone out to dinner alone, his family said.

He was just a short walk from the Airbnb rental he was staying in at the time, according to reports.

Garvin’s body then spent more than a week in the Legal Medical Service morgue before being identified by his traveling companion, Chvnoticias reported.

The suspects remain at large, according to the report.

According to a missing persons flyer distributed by his family, Garvin was reported missing to the Santiago Police Department and the United States Embassy in Santiago on January 17 by his travel companion.

The couple were due to leave Chile for Argentina on January 15. However, Garvin did not leave his hotel room and all of his personal belongings, including his wallet, passport and luggage, were still inside the Airbnb rental.

Garvin was a city employee in the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice.

“My condolences go out to the family and friends of Eric Garvin,” U.S. Senator Charles Schumer (D-New York) said in a statement to Staten Island Advance/SILive.com. “Eric worked in public service and this is a heartbreaking tragedy for all who knew him. I will stay in touch with the family and with the United States Department of State to seek justice and provide comfort and support. to the Garvin family.

In a Facebook post, Garvin’s family said he was an avid traveler, having visited more than 40 countries and doing what he “loved to do”.

Garvin comes from a prominent Staten Island family. Marjorie Garvin, her grandmother, is a longtime advocate for Staten Island’s African-American community who was recognized by Congress for her work to increase voter awareness. She’s also a Staten Island alumna. Advance Women of Achievement Winner.

Retired USAF Colonel Eric Garvin, his father, attended Curtis High School and has since been honored as an unsung hero by the Staten Island Sports Hall of Fame for his work with Cross World Africa. CWA is a non-profit organization dedicated to making hope a reality for poor rural communities in Kenya’s Rift Valley and urban areas of Nairobi.

This is a developing story and more information will be released as it becomes available.