Patricia Batts leaves the courtroom at the Law and Justice Center after a change of plea hearing on Friday, May 26, 2023, in Bozeman, Mont. Batts pleaded guilty to deliberate homicide in the 2020 death of her 12-year-old grandson James “Alex” Hurley.
Samuel Wilson - member image share, Bozeman Daily Chronicle
Patricia Batts listens during a plea change hearing at the Law and Justice Center on Friday, May 26, 2023, in Bozeman, Mont. Batts pleaded guilty to deliberate homicide in the 2020 death of her 12-year-old grandson James “Alex” Hurley.
Samuel Wilson - member image share, Bozeman Daily Chronicle
Montana woman pleads guilty to killing grandson; plea deal calls for life sentence
A Montana woman charged with torturing and killing her 12-year-old grandson in early 2020 has pleaded guilty to deliberate homicide in an agreement that calls for her to spend the rest of her life in prison
Patricia Batts leaves the courtroom at the Law and Justice Center after a change of plea hearing on Friday, May 26, 2023, in Bozeman, Mont. Batts pleaded guilty to deliberate homicide in the 2020 death of her 12-year-old grandson James “Alex” Hurley.
Samuel Wilson - member image share, Bozeman Daily Chronicle
Patricia Batts listens during a plea change hearing at the Law and Justice Center on Friday, May 26, 2023, in Bozeman, Mont. Batts pleaded guilty to deliberate homicide in the 2020 death of her 12-year-old grandson James “Alex” Hurley.
Samuel Wilson - member image share, Bozeman Daily Chronicle
Let the news come to you
Get any of our free daily email newsletters — news headlines, opinion, e-edition, obituaries and more.
BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) — A Montana woman charged with torturing and killing her 12-year-old grandson more than three years ago pleaded guilty Friday to deliberate homicide and two other felonies in an agreement with the state that calls for her to spend the rest of her life in prison.
Patricia Batts was charged in the death of James “Alex” Hurley in February 2020 in West Yellowstone. Her trial had been scheduled to start in July, but she will now be sentenced on July 11.
Under the agreement, she also pleaded guilty to felony criminal child endangerment for failing to get him medical help after he was fatally injured and witness tampering by trying to get family members to provide false statements to investigators, the Department of Justice said.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
