While drawn to 'Cutest of Borgs' hypothesis, I have to ask whether a half mile difference between wear the engines landed and where the fin landed 'proves' anything about the order of the 'break up'?
Engines will follow a fairly predictable ballistic path, based largely on momentum and gravity whereas a tailfin could 'fly' or 'sycamore leaf' down. I'm inclined to believe that the aircraft broke up after it lost control, rather than before - but then that's speculation, too.