Torture & Murder of Kelly Bates

Summary: At age 17, Kelly Ann Bates was kidnapped and held hostage for over four weeks by James Patterson Smith. During the month James held Kelly hostage, he tortured her by gouging both of her eyes out from the socket and beating the girl before he drowned her in a bathtub. Smith, who had a violent history that includes torture against a former partner, denied murdering Bates, but a jury found him guilty. He was sentenced to life in prison on November 19, 1997.

Story

James Smith's marriage of 10 years ended in 1980 due to violence against his wife. His next relationship with 20-year-old Tina Watson resulted in the birth of a child. Smith beat her every day, Watson recalled, describing how he smacked her in the head with an ashtray, kicked her, and punched her. Wilson finally left in 1982 and began dating a 15-year-old named Wendy Mottershead. He was violent toward Mottershead as well, once holding her head under water in an attempt to drown the girl.

Grooming of Kelly Bates

Smith began grooming Kelly Bates when she was 14-years-old. He met the girl when she worked as a babysitter. Two years later, Bates moved in with Smith in his Furnival Road home. Smith’s mother said she felt uneasy about Smith and desperately tried to get her daughter away from him.

Bates moved out briefly but returned by November 1995. When she left, Kelly’s parents noticed bruises on her, but she said they were from accidents. By December 1995, Kelly resigned from her job and became withdrawn from her parents.

“I Accidently Killed My Girlfriend”

On April 16, 1996, Smith called the police telling them that he accidentally killed his girlfriend during an argument in a bathtub. He claimed that Kelly inhaled water and died when he was attempting resuscitation. When police arrived, Kelly was laying half- naked on a bed. Police found blood throughout the home. Smith was arrested at this time.

A Look at Kelly Bates Injuries

An autopsy revealed 150 separate injuries on Bates’ body. Those injuries included:

· Partial scalping

· Ears, eyebrows, nose, mouth, lips, and genitla mutilation

· Kelly’s eyes were gouged out of the sockets

· Stab wounds found in the eye sockets

· Fractured arm

· Stab wounds caused by forks, knives, and scissors

· Both hands were crushed

· Burn marks on thigh caused by hot iron

· Stab wounds on inside of mouth

· Buttocks/left leg scald marks

· Stab marks and injures caused by pruning shears

For the past month, Smith had kept Kelly bound, tied by the hair to a radiator and furniture. He also tied the girl by her neck using a ligature.

A doctor determined that Kelly’s eyes had been removed for at least five days, but suspect that he performed this gruesome act soon after he began the torture against her.

The autopsy reported that she had not drunk water in several days.

James Patterson Smith Murder Trial

Smith denied murdering Bates. He told the court that Bates “would put me through hell winding me up.” He claimed that Bates taunted him about his dead mother and often hurt herself to blame him. He explained away the autopsy results and said that Kelly dared him to gouge her eyes out, so he did.

The jury did not buy his story. It took them less than one hour to find the man guilty of the murder of Kelly Ann Bates. Justice Sachs sentenced Smith to a life term in prison, recommending he serve at least 20-years behind bars before parole eligibility.