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Arriaga gets life with mercy for murder of former coal executive

WILLIAMSON, W.Va. — An Ohio man will spend life in prison with the chance at parole after 15 years for the murder a former coal executive in Mingo County.

Anthony Arriaga was sentenced Tuesday afternoon.

Anthony Arriaga, 22, of Gibonsburg, Ohio, was sentenced Tuesday in Mingo County Circuit Court in connection with the May 2016 shooting death of Ben Hatfield.

In addition to the life with mercy sentence, a judge also handed down two 1-5 year terms for conspiracy to commit robbery and conspiracy to commit murder. Both will be served consecutively.

According to WCHS-TV in Charleston, Hatfield’s daughters and brother addressed the court at Tuesday’s sentencing.

Prosecutors said Arriaga was with Brandon Fitzpatrick, 20, of Louisa, Kentucky, when the two decided to rob Hatfield’s upscale SUV that was parked at the Memory Garden Cemetery in Maher.

Hatfield was at the cemetery to decorate his wife’s grave when Arriaga shot him in the back.

Arriaga was found guilty of the crime in October. A jury found Fitzpatrick guilty earlier this month of first-degree murder, but not guilty of conspiracy to commit murder.

Fitzpatrick later decided to enter a plea in connection with the penalty phase of the trial.

Fitzpatrick faces the same life with mercy punishment when he’s sentenced Jan. 18, 2018.





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