Judge, family in tears as father gets consecutive sentences in death of 12-year-old boy

OGDEN, Utah ( KSL.com )—A judge shed tears on Tuesday as he read out a report detailing the death of Gavin Peterson, a 12-year-old boy who succumbed to years of mistreatment and severe undernourishment.

At the same time, teachers, parents and family members of the West Haven boy also shed tears in the otherwise silent courtroom.

Shane Jesse Peterson, 47, will spend at least eight years and up to life in prison after pleading guilty to causing his son’s death. Second District Judge Camille Neider said it was “telling” that she was more emotional than he was.

"Father ... you no longer deserve that title," the judge stated at a sentencing hearing on Tuesday afternoon.

Niebler sentenced Peterson to five years to life in prison for child abuse homicide, which is classified as a first-degree felony; three separate terms of 1 to 15 years each for aggravated child abuse, considered a second-degree felony; plus an additional sentence of zero to 5 years for putting a child in danger, categorized as a third-degree felony.

On July 9, 2024, law enforcement officials answered an emergency call stating that Gavin Peterson had collapsed in the bathtub and wasn’t responding. However, upon locating him, they discovered that he was already cold, as mentioned in court documents submitted prior to his sentencing hearing. Emergency personnel managed to detect a weak pulse and promptly transported the child to the medical facility; nevertheless, he passed away due to complete organ failure, which one physician described during testimony.

Niebler ordered the sentences to be served one after another, acceding to a request made by the prosecution. Peterson consented to advocate for consecutive sentencing as well, under the terms of his plea agreement, which stipulated that prosecutors would maintain their original charges rather than elevating them to murder charges.

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The prosecutors contended that Peterson's behavior had an impact not just on Gavin but also on two additional siblings, all of whom are experiencing emotional distress.

“He was the man who was supposed to nurture, protect, teach and love these victims. Instead, he ignored, ‘punished,’ treated them with utter contempt and disregard for their humanity, and ‘taught’ them that parents hurt and abandon their children,” the filing says.

Two of the charges for aggravated child abuse that Peterson admitted to were related to the abuse of Gavin, while the third was related to the abuse of Gavin’s older sister, who had left to live with her biological mother at age 14. The child endangerment charge is related to an 11-year-old half-brother of Gavin, based on controlled substances in the home.

In monitored jail calls following Peterson’s guilty plea, he said he “managed to ‘push out a tear for the judge,'” according to prosecutors.

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According to prosecutors, there were 21 minutes between when Peterson was informed that his son wasn’t breathing and when emergency services were contacted via 911. Within this period, he spent 11 minutes talking to his spouse over the phone before returning home. Upon arrival, investigators noted that the lock on Gavin’s bedroom door had been altered to allow for inward opening, and surveillance cameras appeared to have been taken down.

Gavin’s bedroom featured a painted plywood floor instead of carpeting, unlike the rest of the house, which included a small taped-off area shaped like a box along with spots stained by what appeared to be black vomit. According to documents submitted by deputy Weber County prosecutors Letitia Toombs and Kevin McGaha, both the photographs within the residence and those downloaded from family members' phones depicted only images of Gavin’s stepbrother; there were no pictures of Gavin himself—“as though he didn’t exist at all” in their household.

"The sole visuals available of Gavin depict him confined within a cell, sprawled out in a soiled diaper, caked with excrement and injuries. All communication via text messages about Gavin expressed nothing but hatred towards him, described him as utterly dreadful, and detailed the sadistic pleasure they derived from torturing him," states the document seeking the maximum penalty for Peterson.

The legal papers state that those messages do not include Gavin’s name, but rather use offensive language.

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Peterson's spouse, Nichole Lea Scott , and his an adult son named Tyler Shane Peterson Additionally, they all admitted their involvement in Gavin’s demise. Scott is set for sentencing on May 12. Tyler Peterson entered a plea of guilt while dealing with mental health issues and has his treatment assessment planned for May 22.

Before his sentencing, Shane Peterson’s stepson and daughter-in-law submitted letters stating that such behavior was not typical for him.

"He is the kind of person who always puts in that additional effort whether you're family, a friend, a coworker, or even a total stranger," Dolan Rivota stated, urging the judge and parole board to consider Shane Peterson’s full background.

Several individuals submitted victim impact statements for the judge’s consideration; however, these documents remain inaccessible to the general public.

The post The judge watches as the family cries when the father receives sequential sentences for the death of a 12-year-old boy. appeared first on East Idaho News .