12-year-old Utah boy Gavin Peterson was found dead after suffering years of suspected abuse, including extreme malnutrition.
12-year-old Utah boy Gavin Peterson was found dead after suffering years of suspected abuse, including extreme malnutrition.
A 12-year-old boy in the US state of Utah was found “starved to death” at his father’s home in a suspected horrific abuse case that police allege could have lasted years.
Gavin Peterson died on July 9 after police received a call from his father’s house about the boy who was “not breathing” and had been “vomiting” for extended periods of time.
Despite efforts to revive him from paramedics, he later died in hospital.
It prompted police to arrest Gavin’s 46-year-old father Shane Peterson, his stepmother Nichole Scott and 21-year-old older brother Tyler Peterson in relation to the boy’s death brought on by “a prolonged pattern of abuse over the course of several years”.
The Mirror US reported an affidavit detailed Gavin’s harrowing final days before his death.
According to text messages sent between family members, the severely malnourished boy was given only “a piece of bread with mustard” to eat, “one-third of a cup of water”, and was banned from using the bathroom.
The report claimed Gavin was locked in his bedroom and forced to knock to be let out, was subjected to horrific food deprivation, and was beaten with numerous objects including a “pinata stick”.
12-year-old Utah boy Gavin Peterson was found dead after suffering years of suspected abuse, including extreme malnutrition.
In relation to the claims of being locked up and deprived of food, the affidavit read: “All of this messaging and evidence revealed a prolonged pattern of abuse over the course of several years.”
“The deputy noted that the bathroom floor was wet and the child’s skin was cold to the touch,” the affidavit said.
“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.”
Images of Gavin's room were also uncovered on Nichole's phone that showed the horrendous conditions the boy was living in at his father's home.
Doctors found his body showed signs of “malnutrition to the point the child’s internal organs had shut down completely. The child’s body was visibly emaciated,” the affidavit read.
Some images obtained by authorities reportedly show the horrendous conditions Gavin was forced to live in, including where he was only wearing a heavily saturated nappy.
“The child can be seen curling up on the carpet-less floor of the room, which lacked bedding or blankets.”
Gavin’s mother, Melanie Peterson, told local media he was under the legal custody of Shane after she lost custody of her children between 2014 and 2015 after pleading guilty to a drug-related offence.
Despite completing her sentence she never regained custody of her children.
Speaking to KSL TV, Melanie detailed further abuse saying she reported neglect and abuse from Gavin’s father and stepmother of her second oldest child.
“Nichole trapped [them] in the room. The lock was on the outside. She couldn’t get out,” Melanie said.
“She ziptied [them] to the bed, there was a camera so if [they] did anything, if [they] did get out, she would see it on the camera.
