[Savage Rider]

Austin Tice was a journalist covering the conflict in Syria. http://www.austinticefamily.com/

[Texas Fossil]

Austin Tice, Jounalist Held In Syria, Is Alive, White House Tells His Parents

https://www.npr.org/2017/01/02/507854074/journalist-austin-tice-held-in-syria-is-alive-obama-administration-tells-his-par

That was on January 2, 2017.

That sounded like an affiliate of Syrian government held him captive. My guess is possibly Iranian Quds milita.

If you like, I will inquire with some of my friends in region. One in Lebanon might know about him, another in Rojava is very well informed about this type of thing. I’ve not heard about him before.

When I went to the link you furnished, it has some cross scripting that messed with my browser. I run Zero Script plugin.

[Texas Fossil]

OK. here may be the issue:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austin_Tice

Austin Bennett Tice (born August 11, 1981) is a freelance journalist and a veteran U.S. Marine Corps officer who was kidnapped while reporting in Syria August 12, 2012

“a veteran U.S. Marine Corps officer”

That is probably why, the Iranians would likely target that. There are Hezbollah and Hamas both in the Damascus/Lebanon area, as well as Quds.