By Sarah Tincher

May 26, 2016 - Anthony Arriaga, 20, is being held without bond after being arraigned on a first-degree murder charge in Mingo County May 26 in connection to the death of longtime West Virginia coal executive Ben Hatfield.

Hatfield was found dead around 6:30 a.m. May 23 with a gunshot wound in Mountain View Memory Gardens Cemetery, where his wife is buried, in Maher, West Virginia. Authorities said Hatfield had been dead for about 12 hours before he was found.

Less than 24 hours later, police with the Allen County Sheriff's Office in Ohio arrested Arriaga, of Gibsonburg, Ohio, around 2 a.m. May 24 near Delphos, Ohio. 

The Mingo County Sheriff's Department also issued a murder warrant for Brandon Fitzpatrick, 18, May 25. Fitzpatrick is currently being detained in Kentucky after he was arrested Wednesday morning in Elsmere, Kentucky, on unrelated charges.

Authorities overseeing the investigation allege Arriaga and Fitzpatrick were selling drugs in Wayne County, West Virginia, and traveled to Mingo County while looking for someone to rob. Investigators say the men happened upon Hatfield's GMC Denali parked in cemetery, and likely figured he was a good target for robbery. Hatfield was shot dead in the robbery attempt.

Ricky Dean Peterson, 20, of Wayne, West Virginia, also was arrested shortly before 10 p.m. May 23 in Wayne County, West Virginia, and charged with accessory after the fact, obstruction and giving false information to law enforcement, according to West Virginia State Police. He's currently being held at the Western Regional Jail in Barboursville, West Virginia. 

The Mingo County Sheriff's Office and West Virginia State Police have been working together on the investigation. Police used divers and K-9 units to search the cemetery and the surrounding area for evidence. WVSP Sgt. Andy Perdue said a K-9 unit led police to the weapon on the scene. 

Hatfield served as president and CEO of Patriot Coal for more than two years before resigning in April 2015 just about a month the company entered its second bout of chapter 11 bankruptcy.

After leaving Patriot Coal, Hatfield began serving as director of Minerals Refining Co., based in Richmond Virginia, according to his LinkedIn page. Hatfield had also served as director of Foresight Energy LP since June 2015, and as principal at Coal Strategies LLC since July 2015.

Murray Energy Corp., which formed a partnership with Foresight Energy in April 2015, released a statement following the announcement of Hatfield's death.

"The ownership, management, and employees of Murray Energy Corporation express their sincere condolences to the Hatfield family," the company stated. "Ben Hatfield was a leader in the coal industry and he will be dearly missed. We will continue to keep Ben, and his family, in our thoughts and prayers."

Hatfield was CEO of International Coal Group in 2006 when its Sago Mine in Upshur County exploded on Jan. 2, trapping 13 miners for nearly two days and killing 12 of them.

After graduating from Virginia Tech in 1979, Hatfield was also employed by Massey Energy for 23 years, according to a bio on the university’s website, serving in various engineering, operations and corporate management capacities in Kentucky, Colorado, West Virginia, and Virginia. In June 1998, he was promoted to executive vice president and chief operating officer for Massey.

During his time at Massey, Hatfield became very familiar with former CEO Don Blankenship. Hatfield wrote a character letter in support of Blankenship during his recent criminal trial, when Blankenship was found guilty of conspiring to violate mine safety standards.

He served on the board of directors for both West Virginia Coal Association and the National Mining Association.