James Alexander Hurley, affectionately called “Alex” by those close to him, experienced considerable heartache during his brief life, which tragically ended at the hands of his own grandmother.

The 12 year old lad had been living with his paternal grandmother, Patricia Batts, and her spouse, James Sasser, in Yellowstone, Montana, after the heartbreaking loss of his father, Tommy Tate. A catastrophic incident had left Tommy needing several amputations, including both feet, and in 2018, he passed away due to surgical complications.

Understandably, the young boy was devastated. His mother, Alicia, who resided in Texas, held custody of Alex, but it was determined that the child should stay in Montana to complete the school year.

He had adapted well at his educational establishment and formed friendships. Additionally, he had established a household with Batts and Sasser.

Outwardly, it appeared to be the correct decision, reports the Mirror.

However, by summer 2019, Alicia became troubled about Alex, who would solely communicate through text messages or Facebook messenger – never via telephone or FaceTime conversations. He also consistently claimed he was too occupied to talk.

Anxious, Alicia attempted to bring her son back to Texas to live with her, but quickly encountered opposition from Batts, according to Crime Monthly reports. Whilst Alicia struggled unsuccessfully to reach her son, she remained unaware that wicked Batts had withdrawn Alex from school in September 2019, under the pretence of home education.

From this moment onwards, Alex was seldom spotted by anyone beyond the immediate family circle. Evidence subsequently provided by Batts and Sasser’s daughter, Madison, revealed what existence had been like for Alex within the home.

Madison, who was merely a teenager during this period, faced charges relating to her role in the tragic circumstances, but ultimately received probation in return for giving evidence against her parents.

Speaking to the court during the eventual harrowing trial, solicitor Elizabeth Montoya described how Madison had observed her parents’ cruel treatment of Alex, which encompassed slapping, kicking and punching. Detailing how Madison had witnessed Batts and Sasser placing Alex in “chokeholds and deprive him of love and attention”, Ms Montoya explained that this was a setting where “Alex was the enemy. Madison’s parents were the generals, and the other kids in the household were soldiers”.

Alex’s mother, Alicia, suspects the twisted pair were solely driven to retain her son in their custody through avarice, as they had been collecting social security payments that should have been directed to the young boy following his father’s passing.

On February 3, 2020, Alex died during the evening, and when emergency services reached the property, they discovered his body on the lounge floor. He bore bruises, with evidence of malnutrition, yet household members professed ignorance about what had befallen him.

In a bid to depict her grandson as troubled, Batts claimed to investigators that Alex had been self-harming and hearing voices, spiralling downwards following his father’s death. She seemingly hoped this would account for his severe injuries, but detectives weren’t deceived.

An autopsy revealed that Alex had succumbed to blunt force trauma to the back of his head, and incriminating footage of him being abused was found on phones taken from relatives.

In May 2020, Batts admitted to deliberate homicide. She also confessed to felony criminal child endangerment for not seeking medical help for Alex when he was mortally wounded, and to witness tampering by trying to persuade relatives to lie to the police, according to NBC Montana.

In August 2023, Batts received a life sentence for murdering Alex, along with additional 10-year sentences for the other counts. District Judge John C.

Brown remarked at the sentencing: “This is a horrific case of child abuse. It was totally unnecessary, and it was done with malevolence.”

Following her sentencing, Batts made a solitary statement: “I regret not being the grandmother Alex should have had.”

In another development in 2022, Sasser was handed a 100-year prison term for his involvement in Alex’s demise. Sasser, who entered a guilty plea for deliberate homicide, child endangerment, and tampering with a witness, conceded at his sentencing that he had not protected Alex.