A columnist and literary writer, Phillips was shot and killed on June 5, 2022, in the remote Javari Valley in Brazil’s Amazonas region. At the time, he was conducting research for his upcoming book How to Save the Amazon, focusing on illegal activities and the protection of Indigenous groups in the area. His death is believed to have been linked to their investigations into illegal fishing and logging. The murderers were apprehended but questions still remain about whether the masterminds have been fully brought to justice.