Dom Phillips: Wife says ‘we can say goodbye with love’ after journalist’s body is found in Amazon | UK News
The wife of a British journalist killed in the Amazon says his family can “goodbye with love” after his body is found.
The remains of Dom Phillips and his companion, indigenous expert Bruno Pereira, were found near the couple’s place disappeared on June 5Brazilian Justice Minister Anderson Torres said.
A suspect led investigators to the location of the bodies after confessing to the deadly shooting.
In a statement, Phillips’ wife, Alessandra Sampaio, said: “While we are still waiting for definitive confirmations, this tragic outcome puts an end to Dom’s pain of not knowing where he is and where he is. Bruno.
“Now we can take them home and say goodbye lovingly.
“Today, we also begin our journey to seek justice. I hope that the investigations will eliminate all possibilities and give a definitive answer on all relevant details as soon as possible. .”
Brazilian authorities said the main suspect in the case, Amarildo da Costa de Oliveira, nicknamed Pelado, said he used a gun to kill two men.
Federal police said the remains have yet to be identified and said further arrests would be made soon.
On Wednesday, former Prime Minister Theresa May made a plea to her successor, Boris Johnson, in the House of Commons, saying the UK must do “everything possible” to pressure the authorities function in Brazil to uncover the truth about the disappearance.
In response, the Prime Minister said Foreign Ministry officials were “working closely with the Brazilian authorities”.
Sky News has reached out to the Office of Foreign Affairs, Commonwealth and Development for comment.
Earlier, the Brazilian ambassador to the UK apologized to Mr Phillip’s family after they learned his body had not been found.
According to The Guardian, the family was called from an aide to the ambassador on Monday saying the bodies had been discovered tied to a tree in the rainforest but Paul Sherwood, Mr Phillip’s brother-in-law, said ambassador Fred Arruda has written to the family to say that the claim is incorrect.
Bruno Pereira disappeared in the Amazon with Dom Phillips on June 5, 2022. Photo: BAND TV
Family ‘heartbreaking’ but ‘great’
Following news that the couple’s bodies had been found, a statement on Twitter from the family said they were “deeply saddened by news confirming that Dom and Bruno have been murdered”.
They also extend their condolences to Mr. Pereira’s family.
“We are grateful to all who participated in the search, especially the indigenous groups who worked tirelessly to find evidence of the attack,” the statement was posted on behalf of his sister Sian Phillips. , brother of Gareth Phillips, Mr. Sherwood. , sister-in-law Helen Davies and nieces Domanique Daviester and Rhiannon Davies, added.
“We will, of course, give our views on the brave lives and important work of these honorable men, but for now, we’re asking the media representatives to let us know. The family deals separately about what happened to their beloved Dom.
“We thank the many people who joined us in calling the authorities to intensify the search and those who reached out to the ward for comfort and sympathy.”
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Brazilian police are searching for the missing British journalist and his colleagues say a suspect has confessed to their murders.
‘Horrifying’ incident for friends and family
Freelance journalist Mr Phillips, 57, and 41-year-old Brazilian Pereira were last seen on June 5 near the entrance of the Javari Valley Indigenous Territory, which borders Peru and Colombia.
Henrique Cury, a friend of Mr Phillips, told Sky News the incident had “shocked” Mr Phillips’ Brazilian wife, the British family and all his friends.
“He made many friends across the country. Dom is a very sweet and gentle person. To have an ending like this, we are all shocked.”
He said it was typical for Mr. Phillips to decide to travel again before starting work on his book.
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He spoke to him a week before his departure and asked him why, if he had traveled extensively north of the Amazon, he was heading west now as well.
“He told me ‘I want to see the big picture’. He wanted to show the world all sides of Amazon … to get a very human vision of what was going on.”
Mr. Phillips reported on Brazil for over 15 years for newspapers including The Guardian, Washington Post, New York Times and Financial Times.
