Charges filed in Utah boy’s death; school district had reported family to DCFS

Pat Reavy, KSL.com

WEST HAVEN, Utah (KSL.com) — Three members of a West Haven family are facing general criminal charges successful nan decease of a 12-year-old boy who suffered from terrible malnutrition.

Shane Jesse Peterson, 46, Nichole Lea Scott, 50, and Tyler Shane Peterson, 21, were each charged Friday successful 2nd District Court pinch kid maltreatment homicide, a first-degree felony; and 2 counts of aggravated kid abuse, a second-degree felony. Both Tyler Peterson and Scott besides look further charges of obstruction of justice, a second-degree felony. Scott was charged pinch 2 counts and Peterson pinch one.

Shane Peterson and Scott were besides each charged pinch kid endangerment, a third-degree felony. Scott is facing an further complaint of supplier possession, a people A misdemeanor.

The trio are accused of each playing a role successful nan decease of 12-year-old Gavin Peterson. Doctors who examined Gavin’s assemblage aft his decease opportunity he “showed malnutrition to nan constituent nan child’s soul organs had unopen down completely. The child’s assemblage was visibly emaciated,” according to charging documents.

The investigation began erstwhile emergency responders were called to nan Peterson location connected July 9.

“The caller indicated that nan kid had been sick for respective days, experiencing vomiting, and was now not breathing,” charging documents state.

Shane Peterson and Scott besides told aesculapian crews that Gavin had been experiencing seizures, but they did not return him to a doctor, nan charges state.

Gavin was taken to a section infirmary wherever he was pronounced dormant a short clip later.

Police searching nan phones of Shane Peterson and Nichole Scott, Gavin’s begetter and stepmother, and Tyler Peterson, his older brother, recovered conversations betwixt nan 3 that discussed abuse, including beatings, nan charges allege.

“When talking astir feeding nan kid unfortunate nan 3 suspects talk astir only giving nan kid one-third of a cup of water, only giving him a portion of breadstuff and mustard, aliases not feeding him nutrient astatine all. All of this messaging and grounds revealed a prolonged shape of maltreatment complete nan people of respective years,” charging documents state.

The Weber County School District issued a connection Friday saying that Gavin had withdrawn from schoolhouse astatine nan commencement of nan past schoolhouse year, successful August 2023.

“The student had antecedently attended schoolhouse successful our territory during nan 2022-23 schoolhouse year. At nan commencement of past schoolhouse year, nan student was withdrawn from schoolhouse by a guardian who completed an affidavit for homeschool. This fundamentally ended our interaction pinch nan student and terminated immoderate authority nan territory had related to their education.”

The territory besides noted that “prior to nan student being withdrawn from nan district, aggregate complaints were revenge by schoolhouse labor pinch nan Utah Division of Child and Family Services related to suspected maltreatment and neglect of this child.”

Counselors are being made disposable to immoderate student aliases schoolhouse worker “who person been affected by this horrific tragedy,” nan territory said.

A spokeswoman for nan Division of Child and Family Services says privateness laws forestall nan agency from talking astir immoderate circumstantial case. However, nan agency noted that “the nonaccomplishment of immoderate kid impacts and devastates us. This is tragic for truthful galore from nan family and nan organization to each of those involved. The Utah Division of Child and Family Services useful pinch children and families during immoderate of their astir susceptible moments.

“Utah rule requires immoderate personification pinch logic to judge that a kid has been subjected to maltreatment aliases neglect to make a study to DCFS aliases a section rule enforcement agency. You tin interaction nan 24/7 maltreatment and neglect hotline astatine 1-855-323-3237 aliases record an online study astatine www.dcfs.utah.gov/child-protective-services,” nan agency stated.

Family members person established a GoFundMe* relationship to thief salary for ceremonial expenses for Gavin, who was described arsenic “such a happy kid, pinch a fresh grin for everyone.”