Death Penalty News

A Gallatin County judge is asking defense attorneys to file with the court their qualifications to argue against the death penalty for a grandmother accused of torturing and beating her 12-year-old grandson to death. Gallatin County District Judge John Brown asked attorney Ryan Peabody at a hearing on Wednesday to file his qualifications to represent Patricia Batts. Batts is charged with deliberate homicide, aggravated kidnapping, criminal child endangerment and strangulation of partner or family member, all felonies, in the death of Alex Hurley. Prosecutors said in court documents that because Batts is accused of both kidnapping and torture, they may seek the death penalty if she is convicted of those “aggravating circumstances.” RELATED | Montana | Boy, 12, abused regularly by relatives, beaten and left to die on living room floor Batts was scheduled to enter a plea to the charges on Wednesday, but Judge Brown delayed the hearing until March 24. He said he wanted to ...

Newly released texts reveal the horrifying treatment a 12-year-old Montana boy received from relatives before he was beaten to death on the living room floor last month.   James 'Alex' Hurley, died February 3 and his grandparents, 47-year-old James Sasser Jr. and 48-year-old Patricia Batts, as well as his 14-year-old uncle James Sasser III are charged with deliberate homicide.  Hurley's 18-year-old aunt, Madison Sasser, texted her boyfriend that the child should 'go die in the woods' and described him as 'a piece of (crap) off of my f**king shoe', the Billings Gazette reports.  Sasser and Hurley's six-year-old uncle lived with the relatives who allegedly physically abused and starved the child. According to documents, Hurley was made to sit half-naked in front of fans and was sprayed with water. Batts is said to have commented, 'that’s what they do with cats, right?' The grandmother told detectives Hurley 'drove her nut...