A man and a woman wearing red standing for a portrait in front of their palm hut home

Who killed this Indigenous family in the Peruvian Amazon? And why?

The killings of members of a once “uncontacted” tribe are tragic—and show how perilous the journey out of isolation can be.

Shuri and wife Janet stand in front of their palm-thatched shelter, or maloca, in May 2017. On November 11, the bodies of Shuri, his other wife, Elena, and his mother-in-law, Maria, were found here shot with arrows, along with their pet dogs. Janet was not found but is assumed dead.

Photograph by Charlie Hamilton James, National Geographic

The brutal killing of an Indigenous family from the Mastanahua tribe in the Peruvian Amazon has local tribes on edge and authorities searching for answers.

The bodies of Shuri, his wife Elena, and mother-in-law, Maria, were found two weeks ago riddled with arrows near the charred remains of their maloca, or palm-thatched shelter, near the Curanja River in Peru’s Alto Purús region. Shuri’s second wife, Janet, has not been found and is presumed dead.

Shuri was his Mastanahua name, but he was also called Epa. The women’s names were given to them by Christian missionaries. Tribes living deep in the forest cut off from the outside world once were referred to as “uncontacted”—now they’re known as isolated tribes.

Shuri’s family lived near the

DON'T MISS THE REST OF THIS STORY!
Create a free account to continue and get unlimited access to hundreds of Nat Geo articles, plus newsletters.

Create your free account to continue reading

No credit card required. Unlimited access to free content.
Or get a Premium Subscription to access the best of Nat Geo - just $19
SUBSCRIBE

Read This Next

Is banning fishing bad for fishermen? Not in this marine reserve
SeaWorld allegedly violated the Animal Welfare Act. Why is it still open?
'World’s worst shipwreck' was bloodier than we thought

Go Further

Subscriber Exclusive Content

Why are people so dang obsessed with Mars?

How viruses shape our world

The era of greyhound racing in the U.S. is coming to an end

See how people have imagined life on Mars through history

See how NASA’s new Mars rover will explore the red planet

Why are people so dang obsessed with Mars?

How viruses shape our world

The era of greyhound racing in the U.S. is coming to an end

See how people have imagined life on Mars through history

See how NASA’s new Mars rover will explore the red planet

Why are people so dang obsessed with Mars?

How viruses shape our world

The era of greyhound racing in the U.S. is coming to an end

See how people have imagined life on Mars through history

See how NASA’s new Mars rover will explore the red planet