Patricia Batts, a 51-year-old resident of West Yellowstone, Montana, was handed a life sentence for the deliberate homicide of her 12-year-old grandson, James Alexander “Alex” Hurley.
District Judge John C. Brown pronounced the sentence, which was influenced by Batts’ admission of guilt.
Additional family members, including her husband, James Sasser, Jr., also faced sentences in relation to the incident. In March 2022, James Sasser, Jr. was sentenced to 100 years in prison. Alex’s 15-year-old uncle, James Sasser III, admitted to his role of striking the lethal blow in the tragedy in October 2020 in a plea deal.
The fatal event took place on February 3, 2020.
Batts, previously Alex’s caregiver, was convicted of felony criminal child endangerment and witness tampering. She also tried influencing family members to provide misleading testimonies to investigators.
Originally, the prosecution contemplated the death penalty but later settled for an agreement that led to a 10-year sentence for the child endangerment and witness tampering charges.
Autopsy findings pinpointed blunt force trauma as the cause of Alex’s death, with numerous injuries found on his body. Cellphone videos showing the torture were presented in court, leading Judge Brown to label them as profoundly distressing.
