Brazilian authorities say a third suspect arrested in the murders of two men in Amazon

Guarani Indigenous and human rights activists rally Saturday in Sao Paulo, Brazil, demanding authorities conduct a thorough investigation into the deaths of Dom Phillips and Bruno Perreira, and do more to protect indigenous lands. (Andre Penner/AP)

Saturday, the Brazilian federal police announced the arrest of a third suspect in the deaths of British journalist Dom Phillips and Indigenous specialist Bruno Pereira.

According to an autopsy, the pair, whose corpses were discovered after they had been gone for nearly two weeks, was shot to death.

According to a police statement, Phillips was shot in the chest, and Pereira was wounded in the head and abdomen. According to the autopsy report, the victim was shot with "typical hunting ammunition."

According to police, the third suspect, Jefferson da Silva Lima, also known as Pelado da Dinha, turned himself in at the Atalaia do Norte police station in the Amazon.

The defendant will be referred to a custody hearing, according to the police.

Amarildo Oliveira, also known as Pelado, and his brother, Oseney de Oliveira, also known as Dos Santos, are currently incarcerated for alleged involvement in the murders.

Phillips and Pereira were last seen on the Itaquai river aboard their boat on June 5, close to the Javari Valley Indigenous Territory entrance, which straddles Peru and Colombia.

On Friday, federal authorities announced that human remains discovered in the remote Amazon region of Brazil had been recognized as those of 57-year-old Phillips.

Saturday's police statement verified that further remains uncovered at the site near the city of Atalaia do Norte belonged to Indigenous expert Pereira, 41.

The remains were discovered on Wednesday after Pelado confessed to killing the couple and led police to the location where he would have buried them. He told officers he committed the act with a pistol.

Thursday, the remains arrived in the capital city of Brasilia for forensic analysis.

Fishers, poachers, and government agents have engaged in violent clashes in the region where Phillips and Pereira went missing.

Publish : 2022-06-19 07:58:00

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