9 0 th ▁rural ▁activ ist ▁murder ed ▁that ▁year ▁in ▁Brazil . ▁Many ▁felt ▁that ▁although ▁the ▁trial ▁was ▁proceed ing ▁against ▁M endes ' ▁kill ers , ▁the ▁roles ▁of ▁the ▁ran ch ers ' ▁union , ▁the ▁R ural ▁Democratic ▁Union , ▁and ▁the ▁Brazil ian ▁Federal ▁Police ▁in ▁his ▁death ▁were ▁ignored . ▁ ▁In ▁December ▁ 1 9 9 0 , ▁Silva , ▁his ▁son ▁Dar ci , ▁and ▁their ▁employee ▁Jer de ir ▁Pere ira ▁were ▁sent enced ▁to ▁ 1 9 ▁years ▁in ▁prison ▁for ▁their ▁part ▁in ▁M endes ' ▁assass ination . ▁In ▁February ▁ 1 9 9 2 , ▁they ▁won ▁a ▁ret rial , ▁claim ing ▁that ▁the ▁pro sec ution ' s ▁primary ▁witness ▁( M endes ' ▁wife ) ▁was ▁bi ased . ▁The ▁conv iction ▁was ▁u ph eld , ▁and ▁they ▁remained ▁in ▁prison . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 3 , ▁they ▁escaped ▁from ▁j ail , ▁along ▁with ▁seven ▁other ▁prisoners , ▁by ▁saw ing ▁through ▁the ▁bars ▁of ▁their ▁prison ▁window . ▁All ▁were ▁re capt ured , ▁including ▁Dar ly ▁Jr ., ▁who ▁served ▁the ▁remainder ▁of ▁his ▁sentence ▁with ▁the ▁other ▁kill ers ▁before ▁returning ▁to ▁X ap uri . ▁ ▁M endes ' ▁murder ▁made ▁international ▁head lines ▁and ▁led ▁to ▁an ▁out p our ing ▁of ▁support ▁for ▁the ▁rub ber ▁t app ers ' ▁and ▁environmental ▁movements . ▁In ▁March ▁ 1 9 8 9 , ▁a ▁third ▁meeting ▁was