Late mayor spoke of family's drug problems in 'Playboy' article - WVVA TV Bluefield Beckley WV News, Weather and Sports

Late mayor spoke of family's drug problems in 'Playboy' article

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WAR (WVVA) -  Earlier this year, War Mayor Tom Hatcher was interviewed by 'Playboy' magazine for an article on the drug epidemic in his town.

In the article, Hatcher commented on his own family's struggle with addiction.

Since the article was published, Hatcher's son John has gone to prison and John's wife, Rebecca, is now charged in Tom Hatcher's murder.

Following is an excerpt from the article written by freelance journalist Vince Beiser, published in the April 2012 issue of 'Playboy.'

(Mayor Tom Hatcher's) son John has been hooked on pills for years. Hatcher has twice put him through rehab clinics in other states, with little to show for it. John, 36, is unemployed. He lives with his wife and 11-year-old son in a spare bedroom in his father's modest house. Hatcher keeps his bedroom door locked because John has stolen things to sell for pill money. "I hate living like this. I hate being an addict," says John. "But I can't shake it."

He's overdosed four times in the past few years but each time received medical treatment before it was too late. Tom Hatcher doesn't think his son's luck will last. "I think the reality is he will kill himself eventually," says Hatcher. "We see so much of this here. A lot of people say there's nothing we can do. But we can't stop trying."

See WVVA.com's previous report: 'Playboy' article causes stir in McDowell County

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