WEST YELLOWSTONE, MONTANA: A 51-year-old grandmother will spend the rest of her life in prison for torturing and murdering her 12-year-old grandson, James Alexander "Alex" Hurley. According to the Associated Press, Patricia Batts pleaded guilty to deliberate homicide more than three years ago in May 2020 following the death of Alex on February 3 of that year.
An autopsy found that Alex died from blunt force trauma to the back of his head and was also covered in bruises and wounds, court records revealed. Investigators discovered videos of Alex being tortured on cell phones taken from the family members.
The outlet reported that District Judge John C Brown called the video evidence the most “horrific” he had ever seen. “This is a horrific case of child abuse. It was totally unnecessary, and it was done with malevolence,” District Judge John C. Brown said according to NBC News.
Batts received 10 years for each charge
Batts also pleaded guilty to felony criminal child endangerment for failing to get medical help for Alex after he was fatally injured, and to witness tampering by trying to get family members to provide false statements to investigators, the Department of Justice has said. She received 10-year sentences for each of those charges on top of her life sentence.
Alex had been living with Batts and her husband
Alex had been living with his grandmother and her husband, James Sasser Jr, also 51, after his father, Tommy Tate, who was Batts’ son, died. Gallatin County prosecutors alleged Alex was beaten and denied food. Prosecutors also noted that Batts created the environment that encouraged Alex’s abuse.
Batts' husband faces 100 years in prison
In March last year, Sasser was sentenced to 100 years in prison for his role in Alex’s death. He pleaded guilty to deliberate homicide, child endangerment, and tampering with a witness. He admitted that he was unable to protect Alex at his sentencing. Two children belonging to Sasser and Batts were also charged in the case.
Their 14-year-old son was charged in youth court and admitted to causing the injuries that cost Alex's life. Brown, acting as a Youth Court judge, sentenced him to juvenile detention until he reached age 18, which is followed by seven years on probation. The couple’s daughter was sentenced to probation for her role.'
The grandmother has been behind bars since her arrest just over a week after Alex died.
