Published: May 26, 2016 |

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A third person of interest was taken into custody Wednesday as the investigation into the shooting death of coal executive Ben Hatfield continues.

Brandon Fitzpatrick, 18, of Louisa, Ky., was picked up Wednesday morning during a traffic stop in that state for a traffic violation, State Police said.

Fitzpatrick “will be charged with murder, at the least he will be charged with conspiracy to commit murder,” said assistant Mingo County prosecuting attorney Justin Marcum Wednesday.

Neither Marcum nor State Police would elaborate as to what Fitzpatrick’s connection is to Anthony Arriaga, 20, who was arrested Tuesday five hours away from Mingo County in Ohio for the murder, or to Ricky Peterson, 20, of Wayne County, who has been charged as an accessory, court records show.

“That would go too far into the investigation,” said Marcum on declining to comment on the link.

Arriaga is charged with first-degree murder in Hatfield’s death and has waived extradition from Ohio to West Virginia. He was expected to be returned to West Virginia Wednesday, but was not in the state by 5:30 p.m, authorities said.

Peterson was arrested shortly before 10 p.m. Monday in Wayne County. He is charged with accessory after the fact, obstruction and giving false information to law enforcement, court records show. He was released Wednesday from the Western Regional Jail on $20,000 cash bond. A preliminary hearing is slated for 9 a.m. May 31.

A Wayne County criminal complaint states while Peterson was being detained for questioning, he indicated he would help police find Arriaga if they let him go.

Authorities are still unaware of a motive in the slaying or if there is a connection between the victim and Arriaga.

Mingo County Sheriff James Smith said the suspected murder weapon, an automatic handgun, was found in close proximity to Hatfield’s body, close to the Guyandotte River by a Kentucky State Police K-9.

The body was found in Mountain View Memory Gardens Cemetery in Maher, outside Williamson around 6:30 a.m. Monday, near the grave of Hatfield’s late wife, who passed of cancer in 2009

Hatfield owned International Coal Group during the Sago Mine tragedy when 12 miners died in an explosion. He also head leadership positions at Massey Energy, Patriot Coal and Arch Coal.

He graduated from Virginia Tech, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in mining engineering in 1979.  A bio on Hatfield states he started his career in the coal industry after high school graduation by working summers at mines in eastern Kentucky to pay for college. 

Source: (Thursday, May 26, 2016) Register-Herald

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