Dom Phillips, a British journalist, murdered in the Amazon rainforest, was laid to rest in Brazil on Sunday.

Alessandra Sampaio, the widow of Mr. Phillips, stated that her husband was cremated in "the country he loved, his chosen home."

"Today is a day of mourning," she remarked at the service in Rio de Janeiro.

The 57-year-old journalist and the 41-year-old Indigenous expert were last seen on their boat on the Itaquai river near the Javari Valley Indigenous Territory, which borders Peru and Colombia, on June 5.

The Brazilian government verified on June 18 that one of the two bodies discovered buried in the Amazon belonged to Mr. Phillips.

Three fishermen from riverine towns nearby were apprehended. Two of them, according to the authorities, admitted to the murders.

Indigenous tribes and poor fishers hired to invade the Javari Valley to harvest arapaima, turtles, and game have long been at odds.

Mr. Pereira, a bureau officer for indigenous issues in Brazil, fought against these invasions for years and faced repeated death threats for his efforts.

Mrs. Sampaio stated at the funeral, "I would like to express my eternal gratitude to the Indigenous peoples, who are with us as loyal guardians of life, justice, and our forests."

Sian Phillips, the sister of Mr. Phillips, said of her brother, "He was murdered because he attempted to alert the world to the plight of the rainforest's inhabitants."

"Dom recognized the urgency of a shift in the political and economic approaches to conservation.

"Despite the tragedy, his family and friends are devoted to continuing this work. "The narrative must be told."

Mr. Phillips spent fifteen years writing about Brazil for outlets such as The Guardian, The Washington Post, and The New York Times.

He moved into environmental reporting as it became his passion.

After several years in Rio, the couple relocated to Salvador to be closer to Sampaio's family, where Phillips taught English to students from underprivileged regions. They were also pursuing the adoption of two children.

"As we remember Dom as a loving, fun, and cool older brother," added Sian, "we regret that he was unable to pass on these qualities to the next generation as a father."