On March 10, 2018, the burning body of 44-year-old Daniel Cruz was found in a remote field in Hatfield, Massachusetts. Investigators determined Cruz had been fatally shot before his body was set on fire.

A Hampshire Grand Jury returned 51 indictments charging eight people in connection with the killing, indicating multiple individuals were implicated. Northampton resident Nerkin Morales, then 24, was accused of shooting Cruz and of setting the body ablaze. Morales later pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and on September 15, 2020, was sentenced to 15 to 20 years in prison for his role in Cruz’s death.

The case involves a network of defendants and a prosecution the indictment described as extensive; the specific roles of the other indicted individuals and the full scope of the conspiracy remain matters for the record. Does anyone have additional information about Cruz or the events in Hatfield that day?