(CNN) -- A lengthy investigation into the erratic behavior of a Brazilian accused of ordering the murder of a 73-year-old American nun led to his recent arrest, a Brazilian prosecutor in the state of Para told CNN.
U.S. missionary sister Dorothy Stang as seen in 2004 working in the Amazon forest in Para, Brazil.
Regivaldo Pereira Galvao was recently seen at what authorities say is the site of the 2005 slaying of Sister Dorothy Stang to pressure peasants there into giving him the property rights, said federal prosecutor Felicio Pontes Tuesday.
The site is located in a 7,400 acre plot known as "Lot 55" that is under dispute in the Amazon.
Police arrested Galvao Friday on charges of land fraud and slavery. He is already facing a conspiracy to murder charge in connection with Stang's death.
Before her death, Stang had defended the right of landless peasants by giving them access to public land and promoting sustainable farming practices that would help halt deforestation. Her land distribution project, the Project for Sustainable Development (PDS), has received praise by officials with the Brazilian government.
"Sister Dorothy's PDS project is the very most successful land reform project in the Amazon," said Pontes, adding, "It has helped more than 300 settlers make a living in a sustainable way."
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Originally Posted by Pete Bondurant
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