Brazil’s Federal Police arrested, today, Clodoaldo Carlos Batista, suspected of being the second killer in the murder of the American missionary, Dorothy Stang, in Anapu, in the state of Pará, in northern Brazil.
According to the police, Batista’s characteristics fit the oral description and information provided yesterday by Rayfran das Neves Sales, who was identified on Friday, February 18, by an eyewitness as one of the nun’s slayers.
The police informed that Sales confessed the crime in his statement to the authorities and named Batista as his partner. He presumably also confessed that he was hired by Amair Freijole da Cunha (“Tato”).
Stang, who was a naturalized Brazilian, was murdered on the morning of February 12. She had labored for over 30 years on behalf of environmental causes and landless workers.
Stang had reported various death threats she received due to her struggle against rural violence and land squatting.
At any moment the policy are awaiting the surrender of the last suspect, for whom a warrant of preventive prison has already been issued.
He is Vitalmiro de Bastos Moura, accused of being responsible for ordering the crime.
Since Saturday, February 19, Moura’s lawyer has been negotiating his surrender with the police.
Translation: David Silberstein
Agência Brasil
