Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, May 8, 2008 / 21:12 pm
A Brazilian rancher accused of ordering the murder of American religious sister Dorothy Stang has had his conviction overturned in a retrial. The court confirmed the conviction of a second suspect in the shooting.
Sister Dorothy Stang was shot and killed in February 2005 in the state of Para. She was working with the rural poor and peasants who were opposed to the destruction of the rainforest. Their opposition provoked threats from loggers, ranchers, and developers.
BBC News reports that in May 2007 Rancher Vitalmiro Vastos de Moura was initially sentenced to 30 years for ordering the shooting. Brazil requires retrials for first offenders who are sentenced to more than 20 years.
The court confirmed the conviction of Rayfran das Neves, who had confessed to shooting the sister. In the retrial, Rayfran das Neves reportedly changed his story for the tenth time, claiming he was solely responsible for the murder.