Man sentenced to 100 years in grandson’s beating death

BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) — A Montana man has been sentenced to 100 years in prison for his role in the beating death of his 12-year-old grandson in 2020. James Sasser Jr. of West Yellowstone had earlier pleaded guilty to felony deliberate homicide, child endangerment and tampering with a witness. District Court Judge John Brown did not suspend any of the 100-year sentence. Sasser told the court he should have protected James “Alex” Hurley, but he failed. During the sentencing hearing, prosecutors played video and audio recordings the family made of their physical and verbal abuse of the boy. Sasser’s wife, Patricia Batts, faces trial in May for deliberate homicide and other charges.