A 12-year-old boy was found tortured and beaten to death by his relatives at their home in Montana.

Police charged the grandparents and uncle of a 12-year-old boy, James Alex Hurley, after they found evidence of them torturing him.

Police found videos of Hurley being forced to perform exercises and suffering physical abuse.

James had been living with his grandparents for about two years since his father died. His mother, who is living in Texas, said that her attempts to contact her son by phone were blocked by the grandparents.

Hurley lived with 47-year-old James Sasser Jr., 48-year-old Patricia Batts, and the couple's children, including Hurley's uncle, a 14-year-old.

According to a criminal complaint from the Gallatin County Attorney's Office, the family described Hurley as "suicidal, erratic, and hearing voices."

The relatives claimed Hurley once deliberately ran himself into an entertainment center sometime in January.

Detectives could not find any record of the reports the family claims. They also could not find any evidence of the family attempting to get medical or psychiatric help for Hurley.

James' uncle said he allegedly saw Hurley standing over Patricia while holding a knife on January 27. He said he tackled Hurley in fear of what he might do with the knife. He then proceeded to punch James several times on his body and head.

Hurley's uncle towered over him at 6 feet and 300 pounds, compared to Hurley's 5-feet-3-inches and 103 pounds.

James and the uncle were known to have multiple altercations.

Sasser, the grandfather, claimed he was asleep when James and his uncle fought on February 2.

He said Patricia told him of James' death the next morning after he woke up.

Patricia told police she was woken up by an altercation between the uncle and James where the uncle hit Hurley with the paddle. Batts denied the uncle hit Hurley on the head. She said she found Hurley's body in the living room area the next day.

Hurley's body was taken to the Montana State Crime Lab for an autopsy where preliminary reports ruled blunt-force trauma to the back of his head as the cause of death.

A deputy who responded to a report of his death that day called homicide detectives after he observed multiple wounds and contusion all over his body which he thought to be suspicious.

Investigators seized cellphones belonging to Hurley's relatives where police found videos showing the family torturing him.

Police said the videos of abuse dated back to December 2019.

A video from two years ago showed James to be a healthy boy. At the time of his death, investigators said he looked emaciated.

Videos from the family's cellphones showed many instances of abuse, including forcing Hurley to do jumping jacks and wall squats. One video also showed Hurley standing in front of a fan in his underwear.

Detectives also found a video where an unknown substance was sprayed directly to James' face, burning him and choking him.

A search of the home revealed James was not given access to food which was locked up.

"I believe the systematic torture and beatings are perpetrated on the victim in this case that led to his death," Bjorn Boyer, deputy county attorney with the Gallatin County Attorney's Office, said.

All three suspects were charged with one count of deliberate homicide. Gage Roush, an 18-year-old family friend, was also charged with felony assault on a minor after he was seen beating Hurley with a paddle on a cell phone video.

Bail was set for $500,000 for the grandfather, James Sasser Jr. Patricia Batts, the grandmother, was charged $750,000. The uncle was charged with a $500,000 bail.

Sasser and Batts are both being held at the Gallatin County Detention Center. The uncle is being held at the Yellowstone Youth Services Center.