Middleman convicted in 2005 murder of U.S.-born nun in Brazil

Published: 2006-04-27

SAO PAULO, Brazil (CNS) -- It took less than one day for five men and two women to convict Amair Feijoli da Cunha of hiring two gunmen to murder U.S.-born Sister Dorothy Stang on a deserted dirt road in Brazil's Amazon region. Da Cunha, known as Tato, was sentenced to 27 years in prison for the Feb. 12, 2005, murder, but due to a plea bargain arrangement with prosecutors, the middleman will only spend 18 years in jail. The verdict was celebrated by more than 200 peasants who had waited for hours outside the courthouse in Belem. The peasants had traveled thousands of miles from the little town of Anapu, where Sister Dorothy, a member of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, fought for the rights of landless Brazilians. Inside the courtroom, Sister Dorothy's family members and human right activists also celebrated the ruling.

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