After two suspects were arrested on June 7 and 14, a third turned up this Saturday morning, according to the Brazilian federal police.
Brazilian police on Saturday confirmed the death of indigenous expert Bruno Pereira, whose remains were found in a remote area of the Amazon along with those of British journalist Dom Phillips who was accompanying him, and that both men had been killed with a “gun”.
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Bruno Pereira’s remains “are among those” found by investigators, Brazil’s Federal Police (PF) said in a statement.
On Friday, she stated that the first human remains a suspect said were discovered were those of Dom Phillips.
Bruno Pereira was hit by three shots, including one to the head, and Dom Phillips by a bullet to the chest, she added on Saturday.
Dom Phillips, 57, a longtime contributor to The Guardian newspaper, and Bruno Pereira, 41, a recognized expert on indigenous peoples, were in the Amazon as part of a book on environmental protection.
They were last seen on June 5 boarding a boat to Atalaia do Norte (northwest) in the Javari Valley, a notoriously dangerous area frequented by drug traffickers, fisheries or illegal gold mining.
Fourth suspect wanted
A third suspect in these killings went to the Atalaia do Norte police station in the state of Amazonas (west) on Saturday morning, federal police said. The man, Jeferson da Silva Lima, is known as “Pelado da Dinha” and an “outlaw,” she added.
According to all the evidence and testimonies collected, “Pelado da Dinha was at the scene and actively participated in the double murder,” Police Commissioner Alex Perez Timóteo told news site G1.
A first suspect was arrested on June 7: Amarildo da Costa de Oliveira, a 41-year-old fisherman nicknamed “Pelado,” who admitted Tuesday burying the bodies.
A second suspect, Oseney da Costa de Oliveira, known as “Dos Santos,” was arrested on Tuesday. According to local media, police are looking for a fourth suspect, information that has not been officially confirmed.
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The double killing has sparked outrage around the world, with sharp criticism of far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, who has been accused of promoting deforestation and resource exploitation in the Amazon since he took office in 2019.