The body parts were discovered at the scene of the crime in the border area with Peru and Colombia, Phillips was identified first, on Saturday federal police announced that Pereira had been identified by his teeth. The two men disappeared while traveling to Vale do Javari in western Brazil.
Two suspected brothers were then arrested. One admitted involvement in the murder of the two men and led police to the human remains. According to the first results of the investigation, the alleged killers probably acted on their own. “Investigations indicate that the perpetrators acted alone and that no client or criminal organization was behind the crime,” the Federal Police said. So far there has been no talk of a motive for the murders.
Reuters/Ueslei Marcelino Archbishop Phillips’ remains were recovered
Third suspect arrested
A third suspect turned himself in to authorities in Atalaia do Norte, in the Amazon region, on Saturday. The man is being questioned and brought before the magistrate, the Federal Police said. According to the investigation, the suspect was directly involved in the double homicide and participated in the attack and the concealment of the bodies, police officer Alex Perez Timóteo told TV Globo.
“We are heartbroken to have confirmation that Dom and Bruno were murdered,” Phillips’ family in the UK said in a joint statement. “We thank everyone who participated in the search, especially the indigenous groups who are relentlessly searching for evidence of the attack.”
Suspects involved in illegal activities
Phillips has lived in Brazil for a long time and was married to a Brazilian woman. As a freelance journalist, he wrote for the British newspapers “The Guardian” and “The Financial Times”, as well as for the North American newspapers “Washington Post” and “The New York Times”.
More recently, he researched a book about the protection of the Amazon region, the strong economic interests in its exploration and different models of development. The motive for the alleged murder is still unclear: among other things, investigators are checking whether the crime is related to illegal fishing or drug trafficking. In any case, the imprisoned brothers are said to be involved in illegal fishing.
Reuters/Bruno Kelly The search for the missing was initially slow
Indigenous Association: “Priceless Loss”
The Indigenous Association of Vale do Javari lamented the “inestimable loss” of “two members”. It was mainly the indigenous people of the region who led the search for the disappeared from the beginning. Brazil’s right-wing populist president Jair Bolsonaro, on the other hand, initially blamed the men. He said Phillips was “badly regarded in the region” and should “take more care of himself”.
Phillips and Pereira did not arrive by boat in the town of Atalaia do Norte on June 5 as planned, according to a regional Aboriginal organization. Pereira had already reported to the police that he had been threatened several times. He had registered illegal activities in Vale do Javari for the authorities.
conflict region
The APIB indigenous association said it had repeatedly alerted authorities to the activities of criminal groups in the region. “The cruelty of the crime shows that Pereira and Phillips got in the way of a powerful criminal organization that was desperate to cover its tracks,” APIB said in a statement.
With an area slightly larger than Austria, the region is one of the largest indigenous areas in Brazil. Many indigenous people live in isolation there. The border area with Peru and Colombia is particularly contentious due to illegal gold prospecting, deforestation, illegal hunting and fishing, as well as drug smuggling. Brazil was the fourth most dangerous country for environmentalists in 2020, according to the NGO Global Witness – 20 conservationists and environmental activists were killed there.
APA/AFP/Nelson Almeida protest in Sao Paulo
“The deaths of Dom and Bruno are a tragic reminder of how deadly the fight for land rights and indigenous communities can be, particularly in Brazil, which is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for land and environmental defenders,” said the statement. World Witness. “You were heroic in protecting the Amazon and its people and protecting the lungs of our planet. Brazilian authorities must investigate the deaths of the two and bring justice to their families.”