Man facing 100 years in prison for torturing and killing 12-year-old grandson

A man from Montana is facing 100 years in prison for torturing his grandson to death in February 2020.

12-year-old James "Alex" Hurley had started staying with his grandfather after the death of his father. The boy was found dead on February 3, 2020, with responding officers reporting numerous wounds and contusions on his body. Authorities suspected that he had suffered extensive torture and abuse at the hands of several family members.

The family initially insisted that the boy was causing his own injuries, but forensics showed that the wounds were not self-inflicted. Investigators discovered that multiple family members had even kept videos of them verbally berating the child, spraying him with water, choking him, and beating him with a paddle and other objects.

The police arrested five people in connection with Alex's death- his grandfather James Sasser Jr, Sasser's wife Patricia Batts, and their two children- son James Sasser III, 14, and daughter Madison, 18. 18-year-old Gage Roush, who is unrelated to the family, was also arrested.

The victim's grandfather pleaded guilty to felony deliberate homicide, criminal child endangerment and tampering with a witness on Monday morning. Prosecutors and defense have agreed that he will be sentenced to 100 years in the Montana state prison for the deliberate homicide charge with none suspended, 10 years in prison for the criminal child endangerment charge with none suspended, and 10 years in prison for witness tampering with none suspended. The sentences will run concurrently.

His son James pleaded guilty to felony deliberate homicide and was sentenced to juvenile detention until he is 18. His daughter Madison pleaded guilty to felony aggravated kidnapping and will be on probation until she is 25. As part of her plea agreement, she has to testify against her family members, reports People magazine.

Patricia Batts has also been charged with deliberate homicide, aggravated kidnapping, criminal child endangerment and strangulation of a partner or family member, and prosecutors are seeking a death penalty for her. She has pleaded not guilty and is still awaiting trial.

Meanwhile, Gage Roush pleaded guilty to the charge of assaulting a minor and has been given a 5-year deferred sentence.