James Alexander “Alex” Hurley, a 12-year-old from West Yellowstone, Montana, tragically lost his life at the hands of his family.
After previous convictions of Hurley’s grandfather and uncle, his grandmother, Patricia Batts, 51, has now received a life sentence for her participation in the boy’s death.
The conviction was reached based on Batts’ guilty plea, and the sentencing was executed by District Judge John C. Brown.
Batts’ husband, James Sasser, Jr., was sentenced to 100 years of imprisonment in 2022. Alex’s uncle, James Sasser III, who was 14 at the time, acknowledged his role in Alex’s demise in 2020.
The event unfolded on February 3, 2020. Batts, previously responsible for Alex’s care after the death of his father, was also found guilty of child endangerment and tampering with witnesses, even trying to have relatives lie to investigators. Initial discussions of the death penalty were set aside, leading to a 10-year sentence for the two additional charges.
Autopsy results highlighted blunt force trauma as Alex’s cause of death, and the trial showcased disturbing videos, which Judge Brown found deeply unsettling. Alex was beaten with paddles, forced to sit or stand in fatiguing positions for long periods and was left without food.
