MOTIVE FOR THE MADNESS

Police have story straight after week of investigation; Mingo Sheriff says Fitzpatrick had $5,000 worth of meth with him when he was arrested…

MAHER, W.VA. –After a week of painstaking investigative work police have finally found what they have been looking for – a motive in the ruthless killing of a well respected coal executive who was visiting the graves of his widow and her parents in a graveyard in Maher, West Virginia.

Ben Hatfield, a former Massey Coal amd Patriot Coal CEO was shot to death by a 20 year old drug dealer from Ohio and his partner who lived in the Louis/Ft. Gay area.

Hatfield’s funeral will be held in Williamson tomorrow. See obituary in Lazer Funeral notices.

This is the latest account of what really happened that fateful day and in the days since.

KENTON COUNTY, Ky. (WSAZ) — An extradition hearing has been set for a Kentucky man accused of murdering a former coal executive in West Virginia.

Ben Hatfield was found shot to death in the Mountain View Memory Gardens Cemetery in Mingo County early Monday morning. He had been reported missing after not returning to Kanawha County. He had been visiting his wife’s grave at the cemetery.

Sheriff James Smith says around 1 p.m. Sunday, Hatfield was cleaning his wife and in-laws’ graves when Brandon Fitzpatrick, 18, of Louisa, and Anthony Arriaga, 20, of Gibsonburg, Ohio, pulled up to the cemetery.

Sheriff Smith says the men had intentions of stealing Hatfield’s SUV, so they could get money for it.

Smith says the men did not want to leave any witnesses and that Arriaga walked up behind Hatfield and shot twice at him, hitting him once in the back.

Sheriff Smith says Hatfield ran for cover over the riverbank.

He says Arriaga also went over the riverbank after he panicked, and Fitzpatrick drove off, leaving Arriaga there. Investigators say Fitzpatrick thought Arriaga was going to take Hatfield’s keys and follow him. However neither men stole anything from Hatfield or his vehicle.

Smith says Arriaga dropped the gun in the river, and took off his clothes because they were wet from going over the riverbank.

Sheriff Smith says Arriaga went to a home near the cemetery and asked for a ride to Wayne.

When he got to Wayne, Sheriff Smith says Arriaga walked to Ricky Peterson’s home. He says Arriaga and Peterson went to junior high together. Fitzpatrick drove to Peterson’s home to pick Arriaga up, Sheriff Smith said.

Arriaga was arrested Tuesday in Allen County, Ohio after investigators were able to ping his cell phone.

Fitzpatrick was picked up Wednesday in Eslmere, Kentucky. $5000 worth of meth was found in Fitzpatrick’s vehicle.

Both men have been charged with conspiracy and murder, in what Sheriff Smith is calling a random act of violence.

Ricky Peterson has also been arrested and charged with accessory after the fact.

When Fitzpatrick was arrested, investigators say Arriaga’s mother, Angela Marcum, was in the vehicle with him.

Fitzpatrick is scheduled to have a preliminary hearing in Kenton County on a drug possession charge on June 1. His extradition hearing will also be that day.

Arriaga was arraigned Thursday in Mingo County. He is being held without bond and is expected to be back in court next month.

Peterson is scheduled to be in court again next week.

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