Jury deliberates verdict over branding of Navajo Nation man

Friday, May 6, 2011  

A jury in Farmington, New Mexico, is deliberating the fate of a man who is accused of branding a Navajo Nation man with a swastika.

William Hatch, 29, is charged with first-degree felony kidnapping, second-degree felony conspiracy to commit kidnapping, third-degree felony aggravated battery causing great bodily harm and fourth-degree felony conspiracy to commit aggravated battery. His alleged victim, Vincent Kee, 29, took the stand yesterday.

"I don't want another handicapped kid like me to run around Farmington and get hurt like that," Kee testified, The Farmington Daily Times. "I'm trying to tell the truth so they can go back to the prison. I want them to be put away for what they did."

The jury could return a verdict as soon as today. Two other men are also awaiting trials on the same charges.

Get the Story:
Branding victim tells of ordeal (The Farmington Daily Times 5/6)

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