Deputies Identify Tulsa County Homicide Victim

Friday, June 1st 2018, 10:49 am

By: Amy Slanchik

Darius Hatfield is in jail after deputies say he shot his girlfriend, Patricia Duff at their home.

6/1/2018 Related Story: Sand Springs Man Arrested On First-Degree Murder Complaint

Deputies said after interviewing the suspect for hours and talking with relatives and neighbors, they've determined the shooting was not an accident.

Tulsa County deputies arrested Darius Hatfield after they say he shot his girlfriend Patricia Duff in their home in western Tulsa County.

"Like any family, they have ups and downs," said friend David Middleton.

David Middleton knows the couple and said he just had dinner with them last week. He didn't sense any problems between the two.

"And they were getting along real well and so I thought everything was just hunky-dory. But evidently, they had some kind of squabble," Middleton said.

Deputies say the two were arguing inside the home when two witnesses asked them to take it outside.

Hatfield called 911 and said he was trying to grab the gun from Duff when it went off.

"Initially the boyfriend had claimed that they were sort of arguing over a gun in the midst of a fight and that he had accidentally shot his girlfriend in the face," said Casey Roebuck with the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office.

But Roebuck said after interviewing the suspect, relatives, and friends his story isn't adding up.

"We believe it was an intentional act as opposed to an accident," Roebuck said.

Duff was 73 years old.

Friends and neighbors describe her as "sweet."

"She was always friendly with me," Middleton said.

Deputies learned the argument may have been about the future of the couple's relationship.

"Some of her relatives have indicated that she was wanting to end the relationship," Roebuck said.

While deputies say it's unclear if the couple had domestic violence issues, they encourage anyone who may be in a troubled relationship to reach out for help.

For more information on domestic abuse and violence, you can visit DVIS.org or fsctulsa.org