Dom Phillips: Boat used by murdered British journalist and indigenous expert found sunk with sandbags

BRAZIL-INDIGENOUS-MEDIA-MURDER
Civil police arrive at the port of Atalaia do Norte, state of Amazonas, Brazil with the ooat used by Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira
AFP via Getty Images
Matt Watts21 June 2022

The speedboat used by murdered British journalist Dom Phillips to travel in the Amazon rainforest has been found by police underwater weighed down with six sandbags.

The vessel was found submerged in the Itacoai river at a depth of 65 ft, authorities said, as they continue to investigate the killing of Mr Phillips and indigenous expert Bruno Pereira.

They said they were led to the sinking site by a suspect who surrendered himself to police on Saturday.

Mr Phillips, a freelance reporter, was doing research for a book on the trip with Mr Pereira, a former head of isolated and recently contacted tribes at federal indigenous affairs agency Funai.

They were reported missing on June 5 after travelling together by boat through the Javari Valley, a remote region bordering Peru and Colombia.

Their bodies were found after a suspect confessed to the killings. According to police, both were shot with hunting ammunition.

The remote area the men were exploring was known for illegal fishing, mining, logging and drug-trafficking activities.

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