Killed in the rainforest he hoped to help save, journalist Dom Phillips left behind an unfinished manuscript that those who knew him have carried forward.
In 2018, Phillips joined a 17-day expedition into the Javari Valley, a remote Indigenous territory in the Brazilian Amazon, to track signs of an isolated group increasingly threatened by illegal activities. The journey involved 650 miles of travel by boat and foot, navigating treacherous conditions.
Phillips was particularly impressed by the Indigenous guides' knowledge of the forest and by Bruno Pereira, the expedition leader and a dedicated official at Brazil’s Indigenous protection agency, Funai. Upon returning to the region to work on a book, Phillips aimed to document how an Indigenous patrol was safeguarding the largely ungoverned territory, an effort led by Pereira.
Tragically, both men were killed in June 2022 after encountering an illegal fishing gang. However, their story continued through the efforts of journalist friends and family, who completed Phillips's manuscript, resulting in the release of “How to Save the Amazon: A Journalist’s Fatal Quest for Answers.” The project was funded through crowdfunding, grants, and a publisher.
The Javari expedition was first detailed in a 2018 article by Phillips and later appeared in the opening of his incomplete book. Jonathan Watts, who co-authored the foreword and a chapter, described the trip as a pivotal moment in Phillips's life.
In 2022, Watts was among the first to learn of the disappearance of Phillips and Pereira after they ventured across the Itaquaà River. Initially, he mistakenly believed it was another journalist, Tom Phillips, who had gone missing. After clarifying the situation, Tom Phillips joined the search efforts, navigating the region's remote rivers as hope dwindled.
After ten days, the bodies of Phillips and Pereira were discovered. A suspect confessed to ambushing them and led authorities to their remains. The murders drew international attention to violence in the Amazon, with police concluding they were retaliatory acts against Pereira's conservation efforts. In November 2024, charges were filed against the alleged mastermind behind the killings.
Tom Phillips expressed a sense of responsibility to continue his colleague's work, stating that it was therapeutic to finish the book and report on the Amazon. The team behind the manuscript quickly organized Dom Phillips's files, sharing digital backups and notebooks among contributors.
Tom Phillips retraced his colleague's journeys to Indigenous lands, facing the challenge of deciphering his handwriting and gathering accounts from the people Dom had met. The completed book features chapters that address conflicts while seeking solutions, including a focus on sustainable income projects for local communities.
Dom Phillips's widow, Alessandra Sampaio, noted that he envisioned the book as a means to foster an emotional connection to the rainforest. In 2023, she visited the Javari Valley, symbolizing a renewed state presence under President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, while Indigenous leaders continue to advocate for action against illegal activities.
Sampaio's commitment to the cause was reinforced by an Indigenous man who embraced her, emphasizing the importance of family. She now leads the Dom Phillips Institute, which supports young Indigenous storytellers. Her only request for the book was to retain her husband's hopeful original title, with only the subtitle altered to reflect his role in the narrative.
“One thing Dom always told me was, ‘Keep going, Ale’,” she recalled. “Every time I wonder if I can go on, I hear his voice: ‘Keep going, Ale.’ And I do.”