In short
Episode 4 of Guardian Investigates’ Missing in the Amazon (“the ambush”) reconstructs the ambush and murder of Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira in Brazil’s Javari region, the discovery of their hidden belongings, and the subsequent police recovery of their bodies.
Guests
Hosted by Tom Phillips (The Guardian Latin America correspondent). The episode includes testimony from Dom/Bruno’s colleagues and indigenous monitoring team members, including Bini Machis, and from Bruno’s friend/colleague Orlando Pozzuolo and indigenous activist Tataco (Tartaco). It also references Dom’s wife Aler and Bruno’s wife Beatriz, plus police/forensic investigators.
Key claims
Pelado and Jefferson followed and shot the men after spotting them; the bodies were hidden in flooded forest, moved multiple times, and only later found. Many locals allegedly helped conceal the crime.
Notable examples
clothes found in a hidden clearing; trousers sinking after being fished out; Pelado’s confession and police interrogation; bodies recovered after 10 days.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOSetting the Scene of the Ambush
0:32 to 1:08
Description of the ominous events leading to the ambush.
“It became clear that Pelado had become a kind of a major poacher who had gradually built up a business.”
Discovery of Evidence in the Jungle
1:08 to 1:40
Finding crucial evidence in the jungle after the ambush.
“There were these scratches on the trees, these very specific marks.”
The Emotional Toll of the Search
1:40 to 4:18
The emotional impact on those searching for Dom and Bruno.
“A few hours later, I was in a different part of the jungle, with a couple of military policemen and a group of indigenous guys, including Bini Machis, when our radio crackled into light.”
The Arrest of Pelado and Initial Findings
4:18 to 6:28
Pelado's arrest and the discoveries made by the police.
“I'm Tom Phillips the Guardians Latin America correspondent this is missing in the Amazon episode 4 the ambush I hadn't cried yet.”
The Events Leading to the Tragic Encounter
6:28 to 9:36
Chronological account of Dom and Bruno's final days.
“Police searched his house and found illegal ammunition.”
The Attack on Dom and Bruno
9:36 to 12:45
Details of the ambush and the tragic fate of Dom and Bruno.
“I'm saying to Beatriz here, you can't think like that.”
Community Involvement in the Cover-Up
12:45 to 14:00
Revelation of the community's role in covering up the crime.
“carrying was a pen and a book and an iphone and they were just hunted down What bastards now, I mean just what bastards.”
Community Involvement in the Crime
14:00 to 14:36
Discover how a community was implicated in the murder of Dom and Bruno.
“was just the place where they'd temporarily hidden their bodies to get them out of sight from the main river.”
Coldness of the Crime
14:36 to 16:49
Explore the chilling details of the murder and the perpetrators' mindset.
“One thing I find so hard to understand is how many people were involved.”
Impact on the Families
16:49 to 19:08
Hear the heartbreaking reflections of family members affected by the crime.
“And Pelado heard and said, Tatako, is that you?”
Show all 12 chapters
Finding Closure Amidst Tragedy
19:08 to 21:44
Learn about the conflicting emotions experienced by loved ones after the discovery of bodies.
“I think it's very difficult to think about them losing their debt.”
The Aftermath and Search for Justice
21:44 to 24:27
Understand the ongoing quest for justice for Dom and Bruno's families and the community.
“Orlando, Tataku and the members of Ervo got in their boats too, ready to escort them down the river and back to the port.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:00Hi, it's Helen here. Today in Focus is on our summer break and in our absence we wanted to give you the chance to listen to this really excellent series called Missing in the Amazon. It's hosted by The Guardian's Latin America correspondent Tom Phillips and it's from our new narrative strand, Guardian Investigates. It's a feed where you can find all of The Guardian's award-winning narrative podcasts, plus every new series we release. We'll see you on September 1st with the new Today in Focus, but in the meantime here is episode 4.
0:32Previously on Missing in the Amazon. It became clear that Pelado had become a kind of a major poacher who had gradually built up a business. This guy, he says, I saw Don Bruno passing by, and right behind them, he said, there were these two men going after them, men I didn't recognize, in a black speedboat.
1:08There were these scratches on the trees, these very specific marks. The boat must have come crashing into the riverbank at speed, and the propeller was still on, and so it sliced into the branches. In the mud, we found footprints. I was caught by two people.
1:39After I found out that Bruno's boat had been ambushed, things moved very quickly. A few hours later, I was in a different part of the jungle, with a couple of military policemen and a group of indigenous guys, including Bini Machis, when our radio crackled into light.
2:02It was the other search group saying, we found something, get over here now. When we got there, it was this kind of hidden clearing in the flooded forest that was set back from the main river. We maneuvered our way through the water in our canoe, past trees with low-hanging red fruit, pushing away vines and branches. And as we got deeper into the flooded forest, it felt as though the trees were closing in around us. And the natural light started to fade away. And it got darker. And darker. I started to hear the indigenous guys who were already there, talking to each other. And they sounded panicked.
2:45They were finding Dom and Bruno's possessions in the water.
2:53Here is a glass. What is it? It's a glass. Benin is describing to me what's being found. A spoon. A knife. A blue tarpulin. Some clothes. And as I'm taking this in, I see something. Somebody had stirred up the water by turning on the motor of their boat. And a pair of trousers had floated up to the surface.
3:24and I panicked because they started sinking back down again
3:34and I started shouting trousers, trousers, somebody get them someone get them quickly
3:46and then Benin picked up an oar and tried to fish them out of the water But he wasn't quick enough and they just floated back down to the depths of the river.
4:04At this moment, I just knew. There was this horrible energy. It was one of the most awful places I've ever been. And I still think about it now.
4:17I've never been anywhere where you feel so much evil but in that place down there
4:27I'm Tom Phillips the Guardians Latin America correspondent this is missing in the Amazon episode 4 the ambush
4:51I hadn't cried yet. That was the day I cried. The day they found the clothes, I lay on my mother's lap and cried. I didn't know as roupas.
5:04For Bruno's wife, Beatriz, and for many of us on The Search, this was the moment that all hope was lost. Dom and Bruno's things had been hidden in this dark corner of the forest, deliberately concealed. We knew what that meant. For Dom's wife, Aler, a new question was growing louder in her mind. Where are the bodies? Divers went down to the bottom of the water, where the clothes had been found, and they weren't there. Probably they will not find the bodies. I can't imagine if you don't have your... one person that you love so much that you have no... sure that he's dead. I can't imagine this I can't imagine this
6:07it broke my heart
6:13I've reported a lot in places like Mexico where people have disappeared all the time people not knowing what happened to their loved ones and it's agony
6:27Pellado had been arrested. Police searched his house and found illegal ammunition. His black speedboat was searched and traces of blood were found on it and sent for forensic analysis. At first he denied everything and refused to cooperate. But not long after the discovery of Dom and Bruno's clothes, he agreed to start talking. I've spoken to eyewitnesses, some of the last people ever to see Dom and Bruno alive, and have obtained a recording of the police's interrogation of Pelado and a copy of his written confession. According to them, this is what happened. From Thursday, Dom and Bruno were shadowing Ervo, the indigenous monitoring team that Bruno had helped set up.
7:12And on Saturday, one of its patrol units spotted Pelado.
7:20He was in his boat, heading towards the entrance to the indigenous territory. which was illegal to enter. The patrol team followed and Pelado turned around, stared right at them and raised his shotgun above his head and held it there. A warning. A few hours later Dom and Bruno were at the riverside shack they were staying at. The owner of the house says that Bruno was on the veranda smoking a cigarette. looking out at the river as Pellado came past in a small canoe. He was wearing a belt filled with red shotgun cartridges and he carried a gun. Pellado called out to Bruno across the water, good morning, and he carried on with his journey.
8:16What happens next is heartbreaking. On the Saturday night Dom sat down to what I suspect was his last ever interview, a three-hour conversation with Bruno about the dangers facing the Javari and their work fighting the poachers. Then, at the crack of dawn on Sunday, Bruno made a decision, which a lot of people have subsequently struggled to understand. Instead of following their original plan and making the journey back to the river port, past Pelado's village, with a large group of indigenous colleagues for protection, They decided they'd just go it alone instead. Just the two of them.
9:08It's very difficult for me to think about it. But I've heard people saying that Bruno was in a rush to go back down the river. And I don't know. I think that maybe the reason he wanted to get back instead of waiting for everyone else was because he wanted to be back home with me sooner. I think he didn't want to miss the flight that was leaving that evening. I think that's why he set off when he did.
9:40I'm saying to Beatriz here, you can't think like that.
9:46I know, I know. I can torture myself thinking like this. At the same time, I can't stop thinking it. But at the end of the day, it doesn't matter. What matters is what happened.
10:02Bruno texted Orlando at 6am, saying that all was well and that he'd see them at the river port in a couple of hours. By around 7.15am, Bruno and Dom's boat was passing Pelado's village.
10:20This is the voice of Pelado from one of his police interviews.
10:27He said he was at his house brushing his teeth when he saw the boat coming down the river. Pelado says that, as they came past, he heard Bruno turn to Dom and say, Take a picture. That's the boat of the Invasorzinho, the little invader.
10:49That really pissed me off, Pelada says.
10:56Pelada says he was with another fisherman, a man called Jefferson. And according to his confession, after he heard Bruno's words, he turned to Jefferson and he said, let's kill him.
11:13They both grabbed their shotguns, jumped into the black speedboat, and set off following Bruno and Dom. Their boat was much faster than Bruno's, with a much more powerful engine, and they quickly caught up. They came around a bend in the river, and I think it's almost certain that Bruno and Dom would not have heard them coming through the sound of their own motor. Pellado claims that Jefferson shot first, from around 20 meters, and hit Bruno in the back. Bruno pulled out his handgun and tried to fire back five times, but missed. Dom was unarmed. Jefferson shot Bruno again, and he fainted. Pellado then started shooting.
11:59He says he hit Dom in the ribs. Bruno's boat crashed into the riverbank and they shot him again to make sure
12:11then they sank the boat and they hid the bodies
12:23you're right
12:27this is exactly where
12:32this is exactly where it all happened and it's just yeah you asked me how i felt i think that's how i feel here i just feel you just gives you a sense of what an absolutely cowardly attack it was it wasn't a fair fight there wasn't a fight there wasn't a gun battle there wasn't you know the only thing don was carrying was a pen and a book and an iphone and they were just hunted down
13:01What bastards now, I mean just what bastards. So, what bastards.
13:22did everything they could to get away with it and to make sure that nobody ever found our friends what bastards
13:54We later learned that that gloomy patch of flooded forest where we'd found Dom and Bruno's clothes was just the place where they'd temporarily hidden their bodies to get them out of sight from the main river. We also learned that it wasn't just Pelaudo and Jefferson that took them to that place. Right after the murder, they'd gone back to their villages and rounded up a group of locals who helped them move Dom and Bruno.
14:36One thing I find so hard to understand is how many people were involved. What the fuck? What the fuck? This wasn't two people. It was a whole community. I find it so sad to have that level of hatred of the indigenous people, the people they work with, what they represent. Frankly, it's such a failure. There's this trait in Brazil that has always existed, that has never really ceased to exist, and it's come out of the sewer and into the light in such an ugly way.
15:15The next day, they decided to move the bodies again.
Read the full transcript
15:24I mean, it's so cold to do this over several days. Bruno's friend and colleague, Orlando Pozzuolo. Listen, it's one thing to kill somebody and then immediately bury them, but to go home and sleep, have lunch, have, I don't know, have a shower and then come back and move the bodies again. I think it just shows how cold these people are. Pilar de told police that they decided to move the bodies across to the other side of the river. This time they went much deeper into the forest, deep enough that they hoped Dom and Bruno would never be found. And on the 15th of June, 10 days after the disappearance, Pilado finally led the police to that place.
16:16Tartaco and Orlando were there too. Yeah, I mean, it took us a while to get there. We had to go up this creek that was very narrow. It was really difficult terrain. But we finally got there, to this area of flooded forest. I was wearing a mask covering my face to hide my identity. And Pelado didn't recognize me at first. And then one of the federal policy officers addressed me by name. And Pelado heard and said, Tatako, is that you? So I took the mask off. I said to him, I said, Why?
17:13Why have you done this? And he said, I don't even know Tadako, but I've ruined my life. He said that to me, right there. I ruined my life. I felt heartbroken and I felt rage. I had to control myself. and I walked away from him.
17:52When I was told that the bodies had been found, I sat the kids down and said, that isn't coming back. That isn't coming back. Pedro was nearly four. He asked me, they've killed him? I said, yes, they've killed him. I explained what had happened. I couldn't lie. I couldn't soften it. I couldn't do anything because they killed him. Pedro was three and Luis was two. I remember right away when I said that they both hugged me and we cried together, all three of us holding each other. We all cried together. They understood right away. They understood right away. And this thing of thinking that your children are suffering, right?
18:47I don't know. I think it's much worse than me suffering. It's such a horrible thing to think that your children are suffering. I don't think so much about my loss, you know. I think much more about theirs. It's so hard to think about them losing their debt like that. I think it's very difficult to think about them losing their debt.
19:20Alea told me she felt this really confusing wave of emotions. when she heard the news. She was hysterical, she says, and utterly devastated. But she also felt like a weight had been lifted. She'd begun to be consumed by the idea that she'd never know for sure what had happened to Dom. Now, at least she knew. And I was so relieved in that moment.
19:58Instead of wandering, forever she could start to grieve, to remember Dom as she liked to remember him. what do you if you close your eyes now when you go to sleep or when you're just on your own and you reflect and just have time what do you what what's the image of that comes into your mind when you're when you have a moment of peace dancing
20:38and many times when I think about those I have his image and I'm hugging him in his shoulder just putting my arms around him
21:02that's it on the dance floor On dance floor, always. Always. Yes. He's such an amazing, amazing guy.
21:25The forensic police dug our friends from the ground. I don't want to go into the details of what Pilado and Jefferson had done to their bodies. but it was awful.
21:41The police carried them to the river and put them into a boat. Orlando, Tataku and the members of Ervo got in their boats too, ready to escort them down the river and back to the port.
22:02I've returned to the Javari region many times since Dom and Bruno were murdered, trying to make sense of what happened. And on one of those trips, a year after the crime, I found myself sat in a boat in almost exactly the same spot as I'd been when their bodies were brought out of the jungle. And the memories of what had happened came rushing back.
22:25Night fell, I remember. It was pitch black. And I remember there was a full moon, a beautiful blood-red moon above the Itakwaii. And then eventually a small flotilla of boats set off at about 6.40pm under the cover of darkness and it was Dom and Bruno finishing the journey that had been interrupted. That was exactly the stretch that they would have taken on Sunday morning on the 5th of June before they were attacked. and that night on the 15th they were they were they were taken down the final stretch back to Atalaya de Noche and they were and they were carried off the boat and put on a police vehicle and I remember scores and scores of locals had gathered and they had their mobile phones out everyone was taking pictures it was just a horrible scene and I remember speaking to Orlando just over there just after he came out of the forest and he said you know he looked exhausted i mean imagine if they just spent the last 10 days hardly sleeping spending days out in the forest in the rain and
23:43sun working so i've never seen people work with such determination my whole life it was incredible and they just looked absolutely wrecked and i asked him how he felt and he said you know I felt that that was kind of mission accomplished because, well that was mission one accomplished, the first mission accomplished because they managed to find out more or less what had happened and managed to find Dom and Bruno. And then he said, now we have to start mission two which is getting justice for their families and justice for the activists and the indigenous here so that this kind of thing never ever happens again.
24:27On the next episode, Pallardo and Jefferson admit pulling the trigger. They're arrested, charged, and are awaiting trial. But later, they change their stories, claiming they'd acted in self-defense. And soon, it emerges that they may not have been the only ones involved in the killing of Dom and Bruno. Many think it goes much deeper. Colombia provided the ammo for the crime. He's connected to donations to political campaigns, state congressmen. He is a scary figure. It scares people. Just being asked about him. Hey. Hey. Hey.
25:18Hey.
