MT - James Hurley, 12, tortured to death, W. Yellowstone, Feb 2020 grandparents & uncle arrested #1

[borndem]

I wonder why the Mother never contacted LEO for a welfare check?

Darn good question -- we don't know that she didn't, but seems to me if a mother contacted LEO or DPS about it, something would have been done.

Sometimes I think one of the best-developed parts of my body is my tear ducts. Tears, anger and growling. SMH.

 

[Hippiemomof5]

Either way, I appreciate parents who want to home school their children, but there needs to be more oversight of the children who are enrolled in home school, so that the bad parents are not isolating the child further to continue and escalate the abuse.

1. If either caregiver had ever been in prison, no home school.
2. If CPS had ever been contacted regarding child, no home school.
3. If the child is not living with biological parents, no home school.
4. If the family is receiving any public assistance, including medical or EBT, no home school.
(Public assistance is optional, so if they want to home school their kids, get off the public dime).

I could add more, and it probably wouldn't save a lot of kids, but there needs to be more oversight.

Why this??? Public school is using the public dime!! So why would it matter if they’re using other public resources available to them!?

 

[borndem]

When abuse occurs in a home, against one child, the other kids who are not the "targeted" one, are probably suffering as well.

And, it is textbook environment on how to raise a psychopath.

We've also seen cases here where the other children are forced to abuse the child as well to avoid the same treatment.

 

[shotgun09]

I saw pictures on a site not to be named, of the 14 year old in a football uniform, clearly towering over a few other youngsters in uniform. The kid was a bully! And a beast! Clearly, the boys mother ( James' Grandma) knew this and encouraged bully like behavior. Just so sadistic! And to video all of this violence and torture? My dad used to call that kind of stupidity SFB. (S*@t for Brains )

 

[SaguaroSpirit]

I saw pictures on a site not to be named, of the 14 year old in a football uniform, clearly towering over a few other youngsters in uniform. The kid was a bully! And a beast! Clearly, the boys mother ( James' Grandma) knew this and encouraged bully like behavior. Just so sadistic! And to video all of this violence and torture? My dad used to call that kind of stupidity SFB. (S*@t for Brains )

BBM But ultimately, that was a good thing, because that is evidence. IMHO

 

[bears10]

That is the saddest obituary I have ever read. This kid's life tells a story. His Mother is remarried, with another child. She sent her older son to live in Montana. Pretty much a "throw away kid". Sad.

I think the brother is actually older. I don’t see anything to indicate the mom “threw away” her son.

 

[mickey2942]

Why this??? Public school is using the public dime!! So why would it matter if they’re using other public resources available to them!?

I want to make home Schooling more difficult. These would be easy to check. To protect children.

In this situation, James would not have been pulled out of school, for "Home Schooling", because his caregivers were not his biological parents.

At least it would be a start.

Can you think of other ideas?

 

[bears10]

I want to make home Schooling more difficult. These would be easy to check. To protect children.

In this situation, James would not have been pulled out of school, for "Home Schooling", because his caregivers were not his biological parents.

At least it would be a start.

Can you think of other ideas?

So couples who can’t have biological children and choose to adopt wouldn’t be able to home school their children?

I am all for stricter homeschool laws/oversight, but saying poor people shouldn’t be able to homeschool seems wrong. Many people who utilize government assistance programs do so while going through a rough patch. Which is what those programs are there for.

Big yikes.

 

[shotgun09]

Sadly, violence against our most precious (children) happens in home-schooled homes, in public school homes, and in private schooled homes. Its the parents, or those in charge legally or not, who bear the blame. Circumstances vary. I cannot put this sad example of horror and violence on the door step to fight for more governance to home school. This is just pure evil at it's core. I understand the passion that is felt for sure

 

[cocomod]

I do really wonder why in the world they would video tape their horrific behavior. I am glad they did, they can’t claim anything that isn’t witnessed on the tape. They can’t gaslight and make it be about “his mental” issues. They are the mental ones. The grandma really did miss the mark. She had a chance to have her son’s legacy live on! But, she brazenly and wickedly extinguished his flame.

 

[NuttMegg]

Guys, reading between the horrid lines, I think we can make an educated guess that they did not home school this poor kid

 

[Trudie]

Has anyone found the obituary for his dad, Tommy Tate? It looks like he lost his legs over the last year or so of his life. I wondered what his cause of death was? The picture shows that Tommy loved James, and I wonder if mom let James come to live with him because they knew he was dying. Then, once he passed, G-Ma wouldn't let mom have him back. Did G-Ma (and I say that word lightly) have anger issues because of his death and she took it out on the little boy that could have been his legacy??? I feel so much sadness and hurt for what little James endured. How much confusion he must have felt when they tortured him day after day. Even IF he had ADHD or ODD, he probably needed counseling for losing his father. Such evil exists - and it is beyond me to comprehend it!

omg, how incredibly sad. How I wish he could have escaped. This is beyond comprehension.

 

[Trudie]

Well, he had a different kind of schoolin’, imo.

Guys, reading between the horrid lines, I think we can make an educated guess that they did not home school this poor kid

 

[Trudie]

JoAnne Cunningham had horrific videos on her phone revealing exactly what her poor son, AJ Freund endured.
Yes, why? Do they derive so much pleasure from torturing a child they wish to view it repeatedly? Surely one does not send the video to anyone. Smh

I do really wonder why in the world they would video tape their horrific behavior. I am glad they did, they can’t claim anything that isn’t witnessed on the tape. They can’t gaslight and make it be about “his mental” issues. They are the mental ones. The grandma really did miss the mark. She had a chance to have her son’s legacy live on! But, she brazenly and wickedly extinguished his flame.

 

[Trudie]

James' Obituary:

James Alexander Hurley

I hate his obit saying he passed away at his home, omg. Home? Maybe at his MT “hell hole”.

(FYI everyone AJ Freund’s abuse was repeatedly noted, Social services alerted, etc. nothing done. nothing, not one thing, there is a thread.)

 

[Trudie]

I was just reading that.

Some excerpts:
"The detective noted in court documents that the boy was approximately 103 lbs and 5’3, while the 14-year-old uncle was approximately 300 lbs and 6’ tall."

"Another video from Jan. 17, 2020 on the 14-year-old uncle’s phone shows Hurley standing in front of the fan in his underwear. Batts can allegedly be heard telling him, “Oh, you’re not even a human, you’re some kind of thing.” (Batts is the grandmother)

"On Jan. 17, 2020 Sasser III texted Sasser Jr. at 8:07 a.m. “I’m gonna end up killing him today.”

On Jan. 27, the 14-year-old searched for “what was the longest coma?” On Feb. 2, 2020 he searched for “what are the symptoms of brain injury?” “Concussion symptoms” and “how do you tell if someone has a concussion?”

Investigators: videos of James Alex Hurley, 12, appearing being tortured by members of his extended family before his death

This is beyond disgusting. It sounds like he lived amongst savage animals. Did anyone not notice James missing, as in not being out and about, maybe playing or seen around town? I wish I had not found this thread, I won’t sleep, this is too disturbing to absorb.

I think booking info is here, I am unable to look at this moment
Archonix XJail Public

 

[Trudie]

@Dave F. I know you are local, please tell us James will get justice in the MT court system.

 

[PinkPrincessPoop]

Has anyone found the obituary for his dad, Tommy Tate? It looks like he lost his legs over the last year or so of his life. I wondered what his cause of death was? The picture shows that Tommy loved James, and I wonder if mom let James come to live with him because they knew he was dying. Then, once he passed, G-Ma wouldn't let mom have him back. Did G-Ma (and I say that word lightly) have anger issues because of his death and she took it out on the little boy that could have been his legacy??? I feel so much sadness and hurt for what little James endured. How much confusion he must have felt when they tortured him day after day. Even IF he had ADHD or ODD, he probably needed counseling for losing his father. Such evil exists - and it is beyond me to comprehend it!

I am also highly curious about the background here. Did the entire family get along well while Tommy Tate (the father) was still alive? Or was there tension? Did the mother have regular contact with Tommy and James? Or did she totally give up custody/rights? I wonder.

As for what can be done about preventing people from abusing homeschool laws....that can get very complicated, very fast. But I think we can all agree: a good start is to keep advocating for your state to pass laws preventing criminals convicted of child abuse and domestic abuse from ever homeschooling their children. We can build more laws upon that, but that should be our bare minimum and it is not in place yet. Something to think about.

 

[Trudie]

I wonder where Tommy Tate lived? I find a lot of obits but none for this Tommy Tate, ironically I had a RL friend with the same name tat died just one year ago, but nowhere near MT. Might “Tommy” be a nickname? I have searched Thomas/Tommy Tate Hurley.

 

[Luckyzmom]

@Trudie I could not find anything either. Looking for his full proper name. Will update please let me know if you find anything. There's very little background info I can find. Thanks in advance, this should never have gone as far as James being in danger. Heartbreaking