A Canadian man has reportedly been lynched in Peru after villagers accused him of shooting dead a spiritual leader.
Olivia Arevalo Lomas's body was found with two gunshot wounds last week in the Ucayali region of the Amazon rainforest. It's reported that local villagers pointed the finger at Sebastian Woodroffe, 41, a client of the 81-year-old.
According to CBC, the Canadian man went to Peru for a 'deeper meaning' and experimented with Ayahuasca, a local brew that contains dimethyltryptamine (DMT) - a powerful hallucinogenic and psychedelic drug.
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A crowfunding page set up by Sebastian says he wanted to explore Ayahuasca
A shocking video has emerged online showing a bloodied man being dragged through a village being lynched - with many believing it's Woodroffe. He's heard begging for mercy before eventually his body appears lifeless. The 41-year-old was reportedly buried after he was killed.
Police were called to the area and found his body just a day after Arevalo Lomas was murdered.
Ricardo Palma Jimenez, the head of a group of prosecutors in Ucayali has told Reuters: "We will not rest until both murders, of the Indigenous woman as well as the Canadian man, are solved."
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His mate Yarrow Willard has told CBC: "We've just been in shock. It's pretty traumatic to hear. It just felt like a scam because there is no way [Woodroffe] is capable of that.
"He is a little bit of a, I'll call it a shit disturber. One of these people who likes to poke, and likes to test the boundaries of people's beliefs, but is very much a gentle person underneath all that. This man has never had a gun or talked about anything along that line.
"This is not right at all."
Lomas was a dedicated activist for the Shipibo-Conibo indigenous group who lived in the region and that's why her death sparked such an outpouring of sadness, devastation and anger.
Several indigenous activists have faced deaths threats and have been murdered because of their work at keeping illegal loggers and oil palm growers off their lands.
The Federation of the Native Communities of Ucayali and Afluentes wrote on social media: "We are calling upon national and international opinion so that the Peruvian state gives life guarantees for indigenous leaders of the Shipibo-Conibo group who are currently facing death threats and harassment."
Global Affairs Canada says it is providing consular assistance to Sebastian's family.
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Sources: CBC