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

[Niner]

@Dave F. - do you have access to the court site for Gallantin County?

I would like to know when their next court dates are.

James Sasser III - the 14 year is going to be tried as adult - last hearing 2/12.

Grandparents last hearing was on 2/13

And Roush hearing was on 2/14.

TIA!

 

[Trudie]

@Dave F. - do you have access to the court site for Gallantin County?

I would like to know when their next court dates are.

James Sasser III - the 14 year is going to be tried as adult - last hearing 2/12.

Grandparents last hearing was on 2/13

And Roush hearing was on 2/14.

TIA!

I’m afraid Uncle’s status might revert to “minor”. Are you?

 

[Trudie]

14 is old enough to know that beating up ANYONE, let alone a small 12-year-old boy is 100% wrong and can end in tragedy. This doesn't strike me as a situation where the teenager was being forced by the adults to harm and abuse another child. He did it by himself, because he wanted to. Everyone in that house is at fault for what happened to this poor boy. I'm not going to judge the girl, because it appears she didn't do anything to James, and I don't even know if she still lived in the home.
To me, it makes no sense, how you could abuse your grandson, the child of your late son who you seemed to love SO MUCH. I mean, it makes no sense to abuse any child.
EDIT: because I don't know how to write.

I’m going to guess uncle is a morbidly unhappy child, maybe taunted/bullied for his size & he used his nephew as a punching bag. I’d like to know, did anyone have reservations when James was placed in his house of heinous horrors.

 

[Niner]

I’m afraid Uncle’s status might revert to “minor”. Are you?

In one of the articles posted here it said per my notes:

DA says Sasser will be tried as adult.

 

[Dave F.]

The court is the 18th District of Montana (at Bozeman). Dockets are not published. I think a tentative hearing date is set within 90 days of arraignment, but in murder cases that is only a paperwork milestone. The Bozeman Daily Chronicle newspaper has a court reporter that checks actual dockets every day, but obviously they only report big news. As a laymen's opinion, having witnessed trials progress for over fifty years now, I would say that unless the defense starts filing some dramatic motions, we won't hear much until it goes to trial.
My guess is that the prosecution's cases are going to follow the charging affidavits very closely. Montana murder trials rarely last a week, and are known for very efficient (almost streamlined) prosecution based strictly on the facts. There is a separate sentencing hearing which can sometimes gets very dramatic. IMO, IANAL

 

[Dave F.]

In one of the articles posted here it said per my notes:

DA says Sasser will be tried as adult.

He should be. He is charged with committing an adult crime, with fully developed knowledge of what he was doing. I believe that is the threshold. IMO, IANAL

 

[Lusitana]

I’m going to guess uncle is a morbidly unhappy child, maybe taunted/bullied for his size & he used his nephew as a punching bag. I’d like to know, did anyone have reservations when James was placed in his house of heinous horrors.

He plays football in a small town in Montana. He was probably somewhat popular. That, or he was a straight up bully at school too, which wouldn't surprise me.

In one of the articles posted here it said per my notes:

DA says Sasser will be tried as adult.

He's still at a juvenile detention facility, his stuff won't be made public until it's in stone that he is going to be tried as an adult. In WA, a 19-year-old guy was murdered in his own home, by a 17-year-old boy that shot him in the head. He is being tried as an adult, but his records weren't made public for a little bit, and he didn't get transferred out of the juvenile detention center right away. It takes time, but I'm sure he will be tried as an adult, specially with that much tangible evidence against him.

 

[Niner]

Thank you @Dave F. for the explanation on the court system! Much appreciated.

 

[Trudie]

It takes time, but I'm sure he will be tried as an adult, specially with that much tangible evidence against him.

so often it is stated & assumed a minor will be tried as an adult but as the process proceeds, things end up back in juvie court. So, I believe when I see it. Imo his lawyer will first attempt to get Uncle back into the juvie courts. I can hear it now, “he’s just a child, a little boy, he may be large in stature but he is a child.....”.

 

[mickey2942]

I’m going to guess uncle is a morbidly unhappy child, maybe taunted/bullied for his size & he used his nephew as a punching bag. I’d like to know, did anyone have reservations when James was placed in his house of heinous horrors.

Which is why I believe that the biological Mother should be asked if she had custody of her child, why didn't she do anything to follow up with her child? That poor kid suffered abuse, torture, starvation...I just don't understand.

 

[mickey2942]

so often it is stated & assumed a minor will be tried as an adult but as the process proceeds, things end up back in juvie court. So, I believe when I see it. Imo his lawyer will first attempt to get Uncle back into the juvie courts. I can hear it now, “he’s just a child, a little boy, he may be large in stature but he is a child.....”.

Things in Montana don't usually happen that way. There are few to none "Social Justice Warriors" here. Folks are pretty hard line, except on DUI and rape, but don't get me started with that rant.

The "child" won't be allowed to skate free.

 

[Trudie]

Gallatin County Sheriff's Office

This is really astounding! Gage actually commented on this page prior to his arrest. Please note his comments, I’m sure we will discuss later.

 

[cocomod]

He had his own FB page. Nothing on it, but it still makes me sad. He deserved to grow up and live a fun life.

Log into Facebook | Facebook

 

[Trudie]

He had his own FB page. Nothing on it, but it still makes me sad. He deserved to grow up and live a fun life.

Log into Facebook | Facebook

Yes he did! Sounds like he had no chance at fun, or living, for that matter.
What an evil, depraved family.
Right now, I am believing Uncle was the worst offender. Did he wear the pants in the family? Did his mom & dad fear him, his tantrums, threats, size? WTH went on in that household?

 

[Trudie]

Is “uncle” handicapped? Sounds like he was very candid/matter of fact with LE. A lot of boys would lie, even if video existed, they’d at least try to cover their you know what. I’ve known teen boys in trouble for this and that, they lie & deny, even though their crimes didn’t begin to reach the severity of this boy Uncle.
Why grandma could not ask a friend to keep Uncle or James is beyond me. If they could not be in the same room without things getting physical, they needed to be separated. Moo

 

[NuttMegg]

"Hurley's aunt, Misty Burks, told ABC13 that her family in Texas, including Hurley's mother, tried to get him home.

Burks said Hurley went to visit his father before he passed away in 2018, but Sassar and Batts kept him in their custody. Burks said they never suspected the boy was in danger.

"He was a kid that was happy," said Burks. "It's gut-wrenching. It makes me want to throw up. It makes me want to crawl up in a little ball and die. Not only because it's my blood, but because that is a child. It makes me sick to my stomach."

Grandparents, uncle accused of paddling and starving boy, 12, causing child's death

 

[Trudie]

"Hurley's aunt, Misty Burks, told ABC13 that her family in Texas, including Hurley's mother, tried to get him home.

Burks said Hurley went to visit his father before he passed away in 2018, but Sassar and Batts kept him in their custody. Burks said they never suspected the boy was in danger.

"He was a kid that was happy," said Burks. "It's gut-wrenching. It makes me want to throw up. It makes me want to crawl up in a little ball and die. Not only because it's my blood, but because that is a child. It makes me sick to my stomach."

Grandparents, uncle accused of paddling and starving boy, 12, causing child's death

I wonder how they were able to keep him. Also, did grandma hope he would replace her son, maybe having good intentions at first, but Uncle was jealous and home life went to hell? I can’t allow myself to believe they kept James only because they wanted to abuse him.
I’ve had two male dogs before that could not get along. It was so easy to manage them. Separation. Both lived.

 

[NuttMegg]

I wonder how they were able to keep him. Also, did grandma hope he would replace her son, maybe having good intentions at first, but Uncle was jealous and home life went to hell? I can’t allow myself to believe they kept James only because they wanted to abuse him.
I’ve had two male dogs before that could not get along. It was so easy to manage them. Separation. Both lived.

I still wonder if some how they got legal guardianship, maybe from the father before he died, and that they may have been getting his SS survivors benefit (if he got one), or some other gov paycheck each month. Why keep a kid with you that you hate? Remember the Batts friend said Batts said she just didn't like James. (one of the first links in the thread).

Why not send him back to Mom IF he was so disturbed, doesn't make any sense at all.

 

[neesaki]

I’m going to guess uncle is a morbidly unhappy child, maybe taunted/bullied for his size & he used his nephew as a punching bag. I’d like to know, did anyone have reservations when James was placed in his house of heinous horrors.

I agree. Pair that with a sibling type rivalry due to the close proximity in age.
And I speculate that James was considered the “outcast” , aka the “red headed step child” in a very, very seriously dysfunctional family. I suspect that Tommy Tate, in reality, wasn’t In reality, close to the killer mommy. And maybe killer mommy had issues with James because she did t like his mommy. IDK, but there had to be something going on in her nasty, depraved mind.

I suspect killer mommy also had issues that she worked very hard to hide behind with her “virtuous wall of fake religiosity”... such as in that Facebook post of hers. Shes truly sickening.

Also, I’m thinking this of an uncle had way, way too much power in the family, he was THE big over sized obese football hero, after all. Uh huh...SMH. Probably used manipulation with adults, and bullied other children, especially those smaller than him, which was.... every one!
I mean, he’s effing Baby Hughey, and I would pretty much bet, a moron to boot.

Disgusting and sickening to the Nth degree. My heart aches for poor little James Alex Hurley, whose own father didn’t even have an obit. That in itself tells me something about his sorry no good “mother”.

Just my two cents... now at this point I choose to sit on my hands in order to avoid violating TOS, if I haven’t already.

 

[Trudie]

I agree. Pair that with a sibling type rivalry due to the close proximity in age.
And I speculate that James was considered the “outcast” , aka the “red headed step child” in a very, very seriously dysfunctional family. I suspect that Tommy Tate, in reality, wasn’t In reality, close to the killer mommy. And maybe killer mommy had issues with James because she did t like his mommy. IDK, but there had to be something going on in her nasty, depraved mind.

I suspect killer mommy also had issues that she worked very hard to hide behind with her “virtuous wall of fake religiosity”... such as in that Facebook post of hers. Shes truly sickening.

Also, I’m thinking this **** of an uncle had way, way too much power in the family, he was THE big over sized obese football hero, after all. Uh huh...SMH. Probably used manipulation with adults, and bullied other children, especially those smaller than him, which was.... every one!
I mean, he’s effing Baby Hughey, and I would pretty much bet, a moron to boot.

Disgusting and sickening to the Nth degree. My heart aches for poor little James Alex Hurley, whose own father didn’t even have an obit. That in itself tells me something about his sorry no good *** “mother”.

Just my two cents... now at this point I choose to sit on my hands in order to avoid violating TOS, if I haven’t already.

Well said! I think “Unc” has a lot of probs, severe enough his mom just went with it. I bet before James moved in mom was exasperated with “Unc”. Come on....14 & 300#?
Of course he was not happy. Was he a FB player or the 28 year old helpful neighbor, the Gentle Giant?