CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - The family of slain coal executive Bennett Hatfield has issued a statement thanking those who have helped them and offered condolences following the killing.
The statement issued Saturday said family members appreciated Hatfield's friends in the coal industry and their pastor for helping them deal with the grief. They also praised law enforcement for working quickly to apprehend the suspects in the case.
Police say two men charged in Hatfield's death wanted to steal the 59-year-old executive's vehicle and sell it. Authorities say he was visiting his wife's gravesite when he was shot and killed. His SUV was found nearby.
Hatfield resigned last year as president and CEO of Patriot Coal.
He will be buried at Mountain View Memory Gardens in Maher, where he was found dead Monday.