Today in Focus Missing in the Amazon: the ambush – episode four
Aug 28, 2025
Tom Phillips, The Guardian's Latin America correspondent, shares gripping insights from a harrowing investigation in the Amazon. He recalls the intense moment when searchers unearthed personal belongings tied to two missing individuals, revealing the heartbreaking realities of violence. The conversation dives into the emotional toll on families and the chilling indifference of perpetrators who attempt to conceal their crimes. Phillips reflects on the complexities of grief and the relentless pursuit of justice in the face of such tragedy.
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Discovery In A Hidden Flooded Forest
- Tom Phillips recounts arriving at a hidden flooded-forest clearing where searchers found Dom and Bruno's belongings.
- He describes a sinking pair of trousers and a chilling atmosphere that made him feel surrounded by evil.
Clothes Meant Hope Was Lost
- Beatriz and others learned the clothes meant hope was gone and the search turned to mourning.
- Alain immediately asked the most painful question: where are the bodies?
Forensic Evidence Shifted The Case
- Evidence linked Pelado to the crime: ammunition, blood traces on his speedboat, and later cooperation after initial denial.
- These discoveries changed the investigation from speculation to a documented case with confession material.