Two men arrested for 'beating Jesuit college student to death after jumping him from behind during Labor Day weekend night out'

Kevin Figaniak , 21 , was 'jumped from behind' by four men

He suffered severe head trauma and died in hospital the following day

Described as a talented hockey and lacrosse player



Police made arrests after viewing surveillance videos and social media sites

Craig Peacock and Jarrett Chandler admitted fighting with Kevin and his friend



Kevin Figaniak, 21, died in hospital after he and a friend were attacked by four men as they made their way back to campus on Labor Day weekend

Two men have been charged with the murder of a Jesuit college student who was beaten to death after he and a friend were 'jumped from behind' as they walked back to campus from a bar on Labor Day weekend.

Craig Tyler Peacock, 22, of Clewiston, Florida, and Jarrett Mathis Chandler, 24, of Winnfield, Louisiana, were both charged with the murder of Kevin M. Figaniak.



The men were found in a camp for oil and gas workers and were arrested overnight.

They were arraigned and placed in the Northern Correctional Facility in Moundsville, West Virginia on $1 million cash bail each.

Kevin, 21, suffered severe head trauma in the attack near Wheeling Jesuit University at 1.45am on Saturday morning.



He died the next day at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Kevin's friend - who was also attacked - told police the 21-year-old exchanged 'unpleasantries' with one or two of the men in the group before they attacked, Wheeling Police Chief Shawn Schwertfeger told The Intelligencer/Wheeling News Register.

The surviving victim, who has not been named, described the attackers as three or four white men in their mid-20s. Two of them had brown hair and were wearing jeans. Another wore a hat.

The arrests were made after police viewed video surveillance, social media sites and conducted interviews. More arrests may be made in the coming days.



Accused: Craig Tyler Peacock, 22 of Clewiston, Florida, right, and Jarrett Mathis Chandler, 24 of Winnfield, Louisiana, left, were both charged with the murder of Kevin M. Figaniak, 21,



Peacock and Chandler both agreed to give videotaped statements in which they acknowledged there had been a verbal altercation on Saturday morning at a bar.



They told police they followed Kevin and his friend afterwards to where the fight began.



Suspect Chandler specifically stated that he engaged in striking the individual he was fighting,' police said in the criminal complaint, obtained by Metro News.

Peacock told police he may have 'kicked' the man he was fighting.They left the area and left the men lying on the ground after the fight, police said.

Chief Schwertfeger said: 'We’ve located two. We are working hard still. There’s a lot of loose ends to be tied up and we are looking at trying to locate a third or fourth individual.'

The killing has shocked the Roman catholic university Kevin attended .



A statement posted by school officials said: 'We, the Wheeling Jesuit University community, would like to express our deep appreciation and heartfelt thanks to the alumni, friends, neighboring colleges and the local Wheeling community for your outpouring of love and prayers during this very difficult time on our campus.

'We ask that you keep Kevin Figaniak’s family and the WJU community in your prayers during this time of mourning.

'It is through this support that we draw the strength to cope with the loss of our fallen brother.'

Oil and gas worker: Craig Tyler Peacock, 22 of Clewiston, Florida, admitted to police that he got in a verbal altercation with Kevin and his friend



Questioning: Jarrett Chandler is said to have admitted to police in an interview that he and Peacock followed Kevin and his friend and got into a fight with them

Murder suspect: Jarrett Chandler, 24, is an oil and gas worker from Louisiana who was arrested at an Ohio County campsite



Kevin Figaniak, 21, suffered severe head trauma in the attack near Wheeling Jesuit University in Wheeling, west Virginia, at 1.45am on Saturday morning

Mr Figaniak and a friend were attacked as they walked along Locust Avenue in Wheeling on their way back to Wheeling Jesuit University

The 21-year-old, from Perkasie, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, was a talented hockey and lacrosse player and was in his senior year at University where he was majoring in business.



He had attended The Pennridge High School.

WJU president Rev James Fleming said: 'Kevin spent the last three years at Wheeling Jesuit forging friendships and in his final hours, Kevin was surrounded by those friends and his family, who, through their love and prayers, brought Kevin home to Jesus.

'We ask you to please keep Kevin, his family and the entire Wheeling Jesuit community in your prayers.'

His friends described him as a 'fun-loving' young man who 'liked to cracked jokes'.

Morgan Steer, 21, who was in the Pennridge hockey team with Mr Figaniak told Lehigh Valley's The Morning Call newspaper: 'He always had a smile, he was always making people laugh.

'He was one heck of a hockey player.'

Frank Reago described him as a 'respectful and a hard-nosed hockey player'.