Double murderer receives life sentence, plus 170 years (Arkansas)

The 2022 killer of a Jessieville resident’s daughter recently received a life sentence, plus 175 years in Saline County Circuit Court.

After hearing evidence for three days, a Saline County jury found Demontra Kendel Hatfield of Benton, guilty of capital murder, murder in the second degree, abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence, endangering the welfare of a minor and domestic battery in the second degree. The jury also found that he had committed the murders in front of his 3-year-old daughter.

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In an effort to conceal his crime, Hatfield placed Wilder’s body in a suitcase, then placed the suitcase in the trunk of Wilder’s car at 7:08 p.m. He fled in Wilder’s car with their daughter in the back seat.

Driving toward Little Rock on the Interstate 30 frontage road, Hatfield wrecked his car into Larry Foster’s car. Foster left his car and approached Hatfield. Hatfield shot and killed Foster.

Sometime during the I-30 altercation, Hatfield accidentally shot and injured his daughter. He left Foster for dead and again fled the scene.

Foster worked for PPG Industries in Alexander, and was well-known around the world as ham radio operator N5LDF. His obituary described him as “a kind soul who never met a stranger.” Foster and his wife of 20 years had planned to take an Alaska cruise a couple of months later.

Read more – Hot Springs Village Voice: https://bit.ly/4nU9cnJ