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

[Techno1992]

Teen uncle accepts plea deal in 12-year-old West Yellowstone boy's death

The 15 year old took a plea deal. He will not be charged as an adult, will remain in a juvenile facility until age 18, probation until age 25. He will not have a record as a violent offender. He will have to attend mental health treatment.

My opinion, is that this won't be the last time this person will be involved with LEO. I shudder if he could possibly get involved with someone who has children.

Wow....justice has been served...3 years in prison and 7 years probation...
These district attorneys must be very very smart...

 

[Techno1992]

A 12-year-old Montana boy was found dead in a living room; police say grandparents and uncle 'tortured' him - CNN

The grandparents and uncle of a 12-year-old boy in Montana have been charged in connection with his death after police say they found evidence of them torturing the child.

Videos found by police show a pattern of abuse that included forced exercises and physical abuse, according to court documents.

James Alex Hurley had been living with his grandparents, James Sasser Jr. and Patricia Batts, for the last two years. Also in the home were the couple's children, including their 14-year-old son, who was James' uncle. The uncle is being charged as a minor.

Detectives found video from about two years ago in which James "appeared to be a healthy and well fed boy," court documents said. At the time of his death, detectives said James "appeared to be emaciated," according to the documents.

"I believe the systematic torture and beatings are perpetrated on the victim in this case that led to his death," Bjorn Boyer, deputy county attorney with the Gallatin County Attorney's Office, told CNN affiliate KTVH-TV.

-------------

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

According to charging documents, On Feb. 3, 2020 a Gallatin /County Sheriff’s deputy was dispatched to a home on Buffalo Drive in West Yellowstone for the unattended death of a 12-year-old child.

The deputy found circumstances surrounding the death suspicious and he requested assistance from the detective division after he observed the boy had multiple wounds and contusions all over his body.

During various interviews, detectives determined Hurley had been taken out of school in Sept. 2019. Court documents state it appears that very few people have had contact with the boy in the last several months outside the family.

[SBM and BBM for concision and emphasis. A lot more info in the links. I hope I did this right as it is the first time for me. Thank you.]

So sad Montana doesn't use death penalty anymore...

 

[Techno1992]

sorry double post

 

[Dave F.]

Three years proving he's a big,tough guy in Miles City, followed by seven years of seeing a psychiatrist once a week (and paying for it) and of seeing a parole officer once a month...........plus always having to clear these conditions in advance of any employment and never being able to have a drink or associate with anyone who is drinking, and certainly no chance of ever experimenting with drugs. If he doesn't make the grade...... a life of in and out, in and out of prison. He has a clear chance to make a decent life in the end........but not much of a chance. IMO

 

[Dave F.]

So sad Montana doesn't use death penalty anymore...

It's true that Montana has never executed a woman, and has not executed a man in fourteen years.............however, the state may need a refresher course in how to do it, but there is nothing else standing in the way. There is a reason that the prosecutor chose to go for the DP. It's a little too early for predictions, IMO

 

[Techno1992]

The prosecutor can't do anything...even if these beasts will be sentenced to death...
I can (easily) predict that Montana will repeal the capital punishment within few years
I'm not Nostradamus but I see what's going on in this country

 

[Lusitana]

Teen uncle accepts plea deal in 12-year-old West Yellowstone boy's death

The 15 year old took a plea deal. He will not be charged as an adult, will remain in a juvenile facility until age 18, probation until age 25. He will not have a record as a violent offender. He will have to attend mental health treatment.

My opinion, is that this won't be the last time this person will be involved with LEO. I shudder if he could possibly get involved with someone who has children.

Such a shame. He was the one who actually killed James, sure, everyone else in that house let him do it and even instigated it, but he was the one doing it. I highly doubt he will be rehabilitated, I wish I was wrong though. He will probably get arrested again once he gets out of juvie.

 

[mickey2942]

Three years proving he's a big,tough guy in Miles City, followed by seven years of seeing a psychiatrist once a week (and paying for it) and of seeing a parole officer once a month...........plus always having to clear these conditions in advance of any employment and never being able to have a drink or associate with anyone who is drinking, and certainly no chance of ever experimenting with drugs. If he doesn't make the grade...... a life of in and out, in and out of prison. He has a clear chance to make a decent life in the end........but not much of a chance. IMO

What I have seen as an indicator of success after incarceration is a stable, supportive family group. The family visits, keeps the person as part of the family unit, there is a place to go home to, help, support.

This prisoner isn't going to have much of that happening. It will be interesting if they even allow him contact with his incarcerated parents, friend, sister. He won't have much stability when he leaves incarceration, halfway house? Even if his record gets expunged, military won't take him. State Vocational Rehabilitation? Construction, truck driver. Even without a criminal record, job placement in Montana would be challenging.

 

[Dave F.]

The prosecutor can't do anything...even if these beasts will be sentenced to death...
I can (easily) predict that Montana will repeal the capital punishment within few years
I'm not Nostradamus but I see what's going on in this country

Montana is not exactly famous for following trends. IMO

 

[Techno1992]

Montana is not exactly famous for following trends. IMO

It's not a matter of following a trend or not.
The DP is going down all over the world. We can't do anything to stop or change that.

 

[Dave F.]

It's not a matter of following a trend or not.
The DP is going down all over the world. We can't do anything to stop or change that.

This article is from the start of the 2019 legislature, and gives a brief rundown on how many times abolishing the DP has been offered as a bill, and how far each one got. The 2019 measure didn't make it out of committee.
The basic argument is, I think, that we aren't very good at it, so we should just quit trying.
Our laws and procedures allow the DP, but it is not done without great effort. The DP requires extensive testimony and information in the penalty phase, and ultimately must stand the test of "is it the best course for all of the people of Montana?" Then, there can be more than thirty years of appeals. The last person to be executed simply gave up, and exercized his right to stop the appeals and just get on with it.
At this point, the prosecution has decided that the best interest of the people of Montana is to lay the groundwork for that choice to be offered in sentencing. I'm sure that duty is not taken lightly.
It's definitely going to be an interesting case.

IMO
As legislators again consider abolishing the death penalty, here’s what happened to 20 years of bills that tried | Montana Free Press

 

[Niner]

Basically has the same as above articles posted - but had this at the end.

Teen uncle accepts plea deal in 12-year-old West Yellowstone boy's death

October 29, 2020
....
A family friend, 18-year-old Gage Roush, is facing a charge of felony assault on a minor for an incident recorded on a cell phone that happened a few weeks before Hurley's death. His jury trial will begin on November 18, 2020.


@Dave F. - any local news on when Batts, Madison & JS jr. are supposed to be in court? TIA!

edited to add - I do have JSjr. trial to start 3/29/21.

 

[Dave F.]

There is no local news that I'm aware of. I will not be surprised if a plea deal is reached in GR's case just before the November 18 trial date. There is tremendous incentive for any of those charged to plea bargain in this case, so we may simply be waiting for the trial of PB. I've never seen a plea bargain in a death penalty case in Montana. JMO

 

[mickey2942]

I have seen a lot of people who felt that Sasser III was young, impressionable, and abused JAH because his Mother, PB encouraged the abuse. And at age 14, he did what he was told.

I still think that he is a danger to anyone in society, especially someone smaller, and helpless. My opinion is that he will be a danger to any children in his care.

 

[Dave F.]

I have seen a lot of people who felt that Sasser III was young, impressionable, and abused JAH because his Mother, PB encouraged the abuse. And at age 14, he did what he was told.

I still think that he is a danger to anyone in society, especially someone smaller, and helpless. My opinion is that he will be a danger to any children in his care.

I don't think he will be allowed around children throughout his parole period (until age 25). That would be a pretty standard condition to impose in Montana. IMO

 

[Lusitana]

I have seen a lot of people who felt that Sasser III was young, impressionable, and abused JAH because his Mother, PB encouraged the abuse. And at age 14, he did what he was told.

I still think that he is a danger to anyone in society, especially someone smaller, and helpless. My opinion is that he will be a danger to any children in his care.

I don't doubt he was raised to be violent, and that violence was something "normal" in that house. But I honestly have no reason to believe the Sasser siblings were abused, at least not physically. This honestly looks like their children could do no wrong in their eyes and everything they said or did was acceptable. His violence was probably fueled by his mother a great deal, and the fact that we has probably never held accountable for anything in his life didn't help either. In my opinion, he is a danger and always will be. The lack of remorse from anyone in that house for James' murder is very telling.

 

[Niner]

Wednesday, November 18th:
*Trial set to begin (@ am MT) – MT – James Alexander Hurley (12) (found Feb. 3, 2020 deceased in living room, West Yellowstone) - for *Gage Anthony Roush (18) (Friend of JSIII) arrested (2/13/20), charged (2/14/20) & arraigned (3/9/20) with felony assault on a minor. Plead not guilty. $50K bond. Posted bond (5/25/20) & released.
Trial set to begin 11/18/20.
2/14/20 Update: Roush made initial appearance in court. His case will continue in District Court. Bond set at $50K. Next initial appearance hearing in District Court on 3/9. 3/9/20: Arraignment: Plead not guilty. Remains in detention & on $50K bond. Next Status hearing on 4/21.
3/31/20 Update: Was in court to ask for bond reduction. Bond reduction-denied. 5/25/20 Update: Posted bond & released. Next hearing on 7/29/20.
7/29/20 Update: Hearing was postponed. No further dates available. Trial set to begin on 11/18/20.
*Patricia “Trish” Lynn Batts (48/now 49) – Last Omnibus hearing on 7/29/20.
*Madison Sasser (18) – Last Omnibus hearing on 7/29/20.
*James Danny Sasser, Jr. (47/now 48) – Trial set to begin on 3/29/21.
*James Danny Sasser III (14/now 15) - 10/29/20: Judge Brown handed down a sentence that requires the teen to be detained at a juvenile detention facility until he turns 18. After his release, he will be on probation until he turns 25. The 15-year-old will not be registered as a violent offender. The plea deal came with multiple stipulations, including that the teen must remain in mental health counseling for the duration of his detainment and probation, that he cannot have unsupervised contact with anyone under the age of 18 outside of fellow detainees, and he must pay $500 in restitution to the Crime Victims Compensation Fund.

 

[neesaki]

I have seen a lot of people who felt that Sasser III was young, impressionable, and abused JAH because his Mother, PB encouraged the abuse. And at age 14, he did what he was told.

I still think that he is a danger to anyone in society, especially someone smaller, and helpless. My opinion is that he will be a danger to any children in his care.

I’m a little rusty on this case as far as family dynamics, but has it ever come out why PB hated JAH so much? Did she hate his mother? Maybe her son, JAH’s father, had cut off contact with her and she was being vindictive? Either way, I think she’s an evil woman.

 

[Lusitana]

I’m a little rusty on this case as far as family dynamics, but has it ever come out why PB hated JAH so much? Did she hate his mother? Maybe her son, JAH’s father, had cut off contact with her and she was being vindictive? Either way, I think she’s an evil woman.

I think I remember being mentioned that she LOVED James' father, her son. I don't know if, in ther twisted mind, she thought James was responsible for his passing, but it's hard to understand how she didn't love him as much as she loved her son, or at least made an effort to treat this little boy with love and respect since he was all she had left from her son. Such a weird case, and to think that she could've and should've just sent him back to his mother... if she didn't like her grandson, she didn't have to deal with him at all, just return the child to his mother.

 

[mickey2942]

I’m a little rusty on this case as far as family dynamics, but has it ever come out why PB hated JAH so much? Did she hate his mother? Maybe her son, JAH’s father, had cut off contact with her and she was being vindictive? Either way, I think she’s an evil woman.

A lot of different family dynamics here. There is a Facebook group for JAH. And I have to curb my anger, when there are pictures posted of JAH, and how much he is "missed".

Why didn't anyone follow up on JAH? He had been pulled out of school, that is a huge red flag to me. Probably because he was missing too much, and the abuse was getting noticed.

I guess that we need to consider his family "victims" of this crime.