Cause of death Beheading | ||
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Full Name Robert Ward Hall | ||
Robert Ward Hall (born 1949, Calgary, Canada - died 13 June 2016, near Patikul, Sulu, Philippines) was a Canadian kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf militants in the Philippines on 21 September 2015, and beheaded.
Abu Sayyaf kidnaps individuals as a source of funding; it demanded $6 million for Hall's ransom. Canada does not pay ransom because the money goes to fund terrorism. Canadian newspaper Toronto Star published (from 30 November - 7 December 2016) "Held Hostage", an eight-part investigation into what really happens when a Canadian is taken hostage abroad,. The Star revealed "a system ripe for overhaul", and ways Canada could change its approach, so it may be more effectively prepared in future.
Hall was born in Calgary, one of six siblings, and grew up in the city’s Midnapore district. A welder by trade, Hall was also an experienced pilot, an amateur actor and a former insurance salesman.
After the last of the group of hostages, Norwegian Kjartan Sekkingstad, was released after payment of a ransom of $1.2 million, Hall's sister felt free to speak openly, criticizing the failure of the government of Canada to save her brother by paying ransom.
