3 family members arrested, accused of causing death of emaciated 12-year-old Utah boy

WEST HAVEN, Utah (KSL.com) — The father, stepmother and an older brother of a 12-year-old West Haven boy who died on July 9 have been arrested and are accused of causing the boy’s death following years of abuse, including severe malnutrition.

Shane Peterson, 46, and Nichole Scott, 50, were each booked into the Weber County Jail late Wednesday for investigation of child abuse homicide, two counts of aggravated child abuse and child endangerment. Additionally, Scott was arrested for investigation of obstruction of justice and drug possession.

Tyler Peterson, 21, was arrested Thursday for investigation of child abuse homicide, two counts of aggravated child abuse and obstruction of justice.

Other relatives have identified the victim as 12-year-old Gavin Peterson. A GoFundMe campaign was set up by Gavin’s aunt on Thursday.

“While they await justice, the family is picking up the shattered pieces by planning funeral services and arranging therapy sessions for Gavin’s older siblings, who’ve also suffered from abuse and neglect while in their care,” the fundraiser says.

About 2:40 p.m. on July 9, sheriff’s deputies were called to the Peterson home on a report of a 12-year-old boy who “had been ill for several days, experiencing vomiting, and was now not breathing,” according to a police booking affidavit.

“Upon arrival, deputies assisted family members in performing CPR on the child until EMS arrived on scene and took over medical care. The child was transported to a local hospital by ambulance but unfortunately passed away,” the Weber County Sheriff’s Office said.

Gavin was found on the bathroom floor.

“The deputy noted that the bathroom floor was wet and the child’s skin was cold to the touch,” the affidavit states. “Nichole and Shane reported that the child had been ill for several days, experiencing vomiting and seizures, but was not taken to a doctor. On the day of the incident, Nichole found the child in his bedroom, covered in vomit, and assisted him into the shower.”

When Gavin was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead, doctors noted his body “showed malnutrition to the point the child’s internal organs had shut down completely. The child’s body was visibly emaciated,” the affidavit states.

As deputies continued to investigate the boy’s death, they reported finding text messages between Tyler Peterson and Shane Peterson in which Tyler Peterson tells his father the boy is not breathing and asks what he should do.

Investigators said they also recovered surveillance video from the house that shows Tyler Peterson making three trips to a backyard shed about the same time 911 was called.

“During two of these trips, Tyler appeared to be carrying items to the shed. A search of the property uncovered small surveillance cameras in the shed Tyler entered,” the affidavit says.

On Nichole Scott’s phone, police say they found deleted screenshots taken from a surveillance camera that monitored the boy’s room.

“In most of the screenshots, the child is only wearing a heavily saturated diaper. The child can be seen curling up on the carpetless floor of the room, which lacked bedding or blankets. Several screenshots also showed sores on the child’s back. The room appeared to have multiple cameras, as the infrared lights from other devices were visible in the screenshots,” according to the arrest report. “The photo also showed the door handle with a locking mechanism positioned on the outside of the room.”

A search of all the phones of the three people arrested also revealed text messages “in which they discussed whether the child victim had been given any food or allowed to use the bathroom,” the affidavit states. “Conversations also include discussions of hitting or beating the child, even using a pinata stick to do so. They also talk about how the door to the child’s bedroom is locked and how he has to knock on his door in order to leave.

“When talking about feeding the child victim, the three suspects talk about only giving the child one-third of a cup of water, only giving him a piece of bread and mustard, or not feeding him food at all. All of this messaging and evidence revealed a prolonged pattern of abuse over the course of several years,” investigators wrote in the affidavit.

“Gavin was such a happy kid, with a ready smile for everyone. His favorite color was blue and he loved science and Pokemon,” the GoFundMe states.