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

[Trudie]

In short, I don't think he can be rehabilitated. I think he's broken beyond repair.

I agree! I see him going thru a few rounds of counseling & a therapist telling us “this young man should be in society & poses no threat.....”. Like anyone knows. A person might appear to be no threat but what if a trite mishap sets him off. I suspect #3 is a victim of bullying, we know kids are cruel. I have no doubt his weight caused him to be the brunt of many jokes. Perhaps emasculated & ridiculed by PB, even. I also think society expects a large child to behave as an adult. I know I personally find it hard to treat a 4yo obese girl as a 4 yo. My stylist has a 4 yo slender son & her neighbor a 4yo 87lb daughter. I can’t help myself, because of her size, I expect her to be better behaved. Many times I’ve had the opp’ to observe the obese 4yo interact with her peers. Believe me, they notice.......
Not to mention she is excluded from most things they partake in simply because she can’t keep up. 87# and not even in kindergarten.......smh.

 

[Trudie]

@mickey2942 do you expect the judge to make his ruling immediately tomorrow or will he p ly hear arguments & need time to review, blah blah, sending #3 for a battery of tests, etc? Tysm

 

[mickey2942]

@mickey2942 do you expect the judge to make his ruling immediately tomorrow or will he p ly hear arguments & need time to review, blah blah, sending #3 for a battery of tests, etc? Tysm

I don't know. And really, is a complete psych eval needed here? If so, get in a very long line. I suppose that since this is a huge decision, regarding this young man, it is best to have all information needed.

My question is if the public has had all of the information regarding the abuse. What else has the autopsy results revealed? We may get more information that is even more horrific about the treatment of JAH. Shudder. Who knows...

 

[Dave F.]

A five year sentence might result in two years served.

I think that if he is a perfect model of appropriate behavior, he could be out in 17 months, less time already served. I'm guessing he will use up a lot of that time before trial, because it's really hard to prove that you don't have the ability to pay up to $50,000 in fines if you post a $50,000 bond to bail out. JMO

 

[Dave F.]

@mickey2942 do you expect the judge to make his ruling immediately tomorrow or will he p ly hear arguments & need time to review, blah blah, sending #3 for a battery of tests, etc? Tysm

Just a quick minor note:
There is a 2 out of 3 chance that the deciding judge in this matter is not going to be a "he". I'll bet she/he decides based strictly on the merits of the arguments presented by the defense. As I stated before, this is a defense motion to undo something that has already been decided and done. JMO
https://directory.mt.gov/govt/state-dir/agency/judicial

 

[Trudie]

I will be sick if #3 gets kid treatment. His actions appear adult like so......

one thing, I bet next time we see him, he will no longer be a hefty 3oo pounder. No way he’s getting enough calories to maintain that weight. The more he loses, the younger he will look.

 

[Lusitana]

He's 14, he knew what he was doing.

 

[Niner]

Has anyone seen a court date for GR? I noticed the court site just has his last date in there. TIA!

 

[Trudie]

I thought it was listed once! Omg, I hope he hasn’t finagled his way out of this. He’s still in, correct?

Has anyone seen a court date for GR? I noticed the court site just has his last date in there. TIA!

 

[Trudie]

He's 14, he knew what he was doing.

And all he had to do was consider how he would like to be treated in such a tortuous manner. I think “negative”.

 

[Niner]

I thought it was listed once! Omg, I hope he hasn’t finagled his way out of this. He’s still in, correct?

He's still in jail.... I just wanted to know if anyone had seen his next court date. I'm guessing - not.

 

[Niner]

Thursday, March 5th:
*Preliminary Hearing (JSIII only) (@ am MT) – MT – James Alexander Hurley (12) (found Feb. 3, 2020 deceased in living room, West Yellowstone) - *James Danny Sasser, Jr. (47) (paternal grandfather) arrested (2/12/20) & charged (2/13/20) with 1 count of felony deliberate homicide. $500K bond.
*Patricia Lynn Batts (48) aka Patricia Sasser & Patricia Rone (paternal grandmother) arrested (2/12/20 & charged (2/13/20) with 1 count of felony deliberate homicide. $750K bond.
2/13/20 Update: Grandparents initial appearance in court. Batts bond set at $750K & Sasser Jr. at $500K. Did not enter any pleas, but requested public defenders. Arraignment hearing on 3/6 for PB & JDS Jr.
*James Danny Sasser III (14) (uncle of James) arrested (2/12/20) & charged (2/18/20) with 1 count of felony deliberate homicide (as an adult). Held in Yellowstone Youth Center juvenile facility in Billings. $500K bond.
2/12/20 Update: James Sasser III appeared in juvenile court. Youth court will determine if he stands trial as an adult. 2/18/20: DA has filed charges as an adult with Deliberate Homicide (which in Montana can be the equivalent of Murder in First Degree) and Gallatin County Judge John Brown on Wednesday (2/19/20) set a hearing for 3/5/20 to decide whether to try JSIII as an adult for torturing and beating his 12-year-old nephew to death. Defense filed motion to rescind that decision, and remand it back into the juvenile system.
*Gage Anthony Roush (18) (friend of Sasser III) arrested (2/13/20) & charged (2/14/20) with felony assault on a minor. $50K bond.
2/14/20 Update: Roush made initial appearance in court. His case will continue in District Court. Bond set at $50K.
James was sent to live with his father by his mother (August, 2017); father died in Jan. 2, 2018 & ended up living with grandparents. Videos of abuse dating back to December 2019. "Detectives observed videos of what appeared to be the family torturing (James)," the complaint said. Instances of the abuse included James being forced to do exercises -- jumping jacks and wall squats -- along with standing in front of a fan with no clothing but his underwear, according to the complaint. Videos reviewed by detectives also showed the suspects spraying James in the face with an unknown substance that burned him and choking him, & detectives also found food in the house was locked up so James did not have access to it. Roush could be seen on cell phone video beating Hurley with a paddle. Under Montana law, deliberate homicide by means of torture is one of the aggravating circumstances that would allow the county attorney’s office to seek the death penalty.”

 

[Trudie]

Any word yet on #3? I can’t find an update, perhaps court is still in session?

 

[Trudie]

Oops
Here we go!

14-year-old pleads not guilty in death of West Yellowstone boy


James Sasser III, 14, entered a plea of not guilty in connection with the death of 12-year-old James Alex Hurley, who was allegedly killed outside of West Yellowstone, on or about February 3, 2020.

Sasser III was arrested in February, along with James Sasser Jr. and Patricia Batts, suspected of killing Hurley. Sasser III appeared via video in Gallatin County Justice Court on Thursday.

 

[mickey2942]

"Not Guilty". Of course. Try to flip it on someone else. I knew that GR is going to be set up for the fall by the family.

GR is not a "gentle giant" he is a "stupid giant". If there is any video evidence of GR abusing JAH, it is reasonable doubt for everyone else in the family.

Anyone else see this differently?

 

[Niner]

Oops
Here we go!

14-year-old pleads not guilty in death of West Yellowstone boy


James Sasser III, 14, entered a plea of not guilty in connection with the death of 12-year-old James Alex Hurley, who was allegedly killed outside of West Yellowstone, on or about February 3, 2020.

Sasser III was arrested in February, along with James Sasser Jr. and Patricia Batts, suspected of killing Hurley. Sasser III appeared via video in Gallatin County Justice Court on Thursday.

also in article:


. Sasser's bail was set at $500,000. He is expected to be tried as an adult; that determination will be made officially at his next court appearance on July 7. He remains in custody at a juvenile facility in Billings.

 

[Trudie]

Anyone else see this differently?

GR is only shown once paddling Alex. I’ll have to look to see if the date is mentioned. Was it weeks before Alex died? I still don’t see any Sasser walking away without harsh sentences. It seems JR is the only one charged not shown beating or otherwise torturing Alex. But, he knew, as he rec’d texts. I expect him to claim “I had no idea......, I was working, coaching or sleeping.” Actually, I don’t think he cared one way or the other. Alex really was “nothing” to him. Only the grandson of his SO.

that determination will be made officially at his next court appearance on July 7

Yeah, we have to wait......4 long months. I guess the image of #3 is from his video appearance? He looks rather unhappy. Great! No phone, no video games, no comfie bed, no snacks, no authority. A whole new world for him.

 

[shotgun09]

"Systematic torture"

The defense, as I can see, as follows:

PB ( Grandma): "I was a grieving parent"
JS JR: " I didn't do anything"
JS III: "I'm just a poor boy who was craving discipline and understanding"
GR: "I just did what they told me to"

BS

 

[Trudie]

@mickey2942 this is the facility #3 is held in, correct?

Ted Lechner Brochure

 

[Trudie]

Well, they can try but I believe once LE testify, no juror will have any compassion. What concerns me most is MT inmates seem to serve very little of their actual sentence.

"Systematic torture"

The defense, as I can see, as follows:

PB ( Grandma): "I was a grieving parent"
JS JR: " I didn't do anything"
JS III: "I'm just a poor boy who was craving discipline and understanding"
GR: "I just did what they told me to"

BS