‘Hate him more and more’: Woman who kept 12-year-old stepson in a ‘prolonged death camp’ until he died of sepsis learns her fate

A Utah pistillate who pleaded blameworthy to the first-degree execution of her 12-year-old stepson faced a justice to perceive her sentence.

Nichole Lea Scott, 50, entered a blameworthy plea to the first-degree execution of Gavin Peterson, 12, who died of sepsis, malnutrition, and different illnesses successful July 2024. Scott initially pleaded not guilty, past changed her plea aft the boy’s father, Shane Peterson, 47, and brother, Tyler Peterson, 22, entered blameworthy pleas successful transportation to Gavin Peterson’s death.

Scott’s adjudicated maltreatment of her stepson was laid retired by prosecutors successful tribunal connected Monday arsenic she awaited her condemnation from 2nd District Court Judge Camille Neider. KSL, a section NBC affiliate that was successful the courtroom, reported that Neider told the defendant, “Sometimes radical beryllium successful that seat and I privation to, arsenic they spell disconnected to prison, say, ‘Do your best, due to the fact that astatine immoderate constituent you’re going to get out’ — a glimmer of hope, a ray of hope, thing for you to clasp onto arsenic you’ll beryllium going to prison. Truthfully, I americium not going to beryllium that ray of anticipation for you. I don’t cognize that you volition get out, and frankly, I anticipation that you don’t get out.”

The justice sentenced Scott to up to a beingness down bars.

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While Scott avoided a proceedings by taking a plea, she inactive sat portion prosecutors described the horrific attraction of Gavin Peterson astatine the hands of his ain household members, specifically his stepmother. According to prosecutors, the lad was kept successful a bare country with nary carpeting and forced to enactment successful a spot wherever “blue portion mark[ed] retired a container of little than 3 feet agelong and wide.” He was watched by cameras perpetually portion successful the country and was forced to deterioration a diaper since helium wasn’t allowed retired of the room.

The Salt Lake Tribune reported connected charging documents that described immoderate of the information footage of Gavin Peterson, including him “curling up connected the carpetless floor” without immoderate bedding oregon blankets, often with a “saturated diaper.” He was fed 1/2 a solid of h2o a time with a portion of breadstuff with mustard, if helium was fed astatine all.

In the memorandum work aloud successful court, prosecutors said Gavin Peterson was subjected to “nothing abbreviated of a prolonged decease camp” portion successful the home.

Prosecutors said that portion attraction and emotion were showed towards different children successful the home, “The lone images oregon videos of Gavin were of him locked successful the cell, laying successful a soiled diaper, covered successful feces and wounds. The lone substance messages regarding Gavin were of however overmuch [Scott] hated him, however unspeakable helium was, and the torture she and the codefendants enjoyed putting him through.”

One specified substance was work successful court. In a substance connection Scott exchanged with Shane Peterson successful May 2023 aft she was told by Gavin Peterson’s schoolhouse caregiver that his fingers were showing symptoms of an infection, Scott texted the boy’s father, “He does this [expletive] for attraction and I [expletive] hatred it and it makes maine hatred him much and more!”

Prosecutors said that astatine the clip those messages were sent, Gavin Peterson was 11 years old. He was taken retired of schoolhouse pursuing that incident, and little than a period later, “Nichole and Shane remov[ed] Gavin from the nationalist oculus for the past time.” School unit had begun reported signs of maltreatment to the Utah Division of Child and Family Services — truthful the parents seemingly made definite schoolhouse unit could nary longer spot him.

On the time Gavin Peterson died, July 9, 2024, prosecutors said that Scott “lied to the constabulary regarding the events of that day,” and delayed getting assistance for the lad aft uncovering him unresponsive. Court documents obtained by section Fox affiliate KSTU stated that erstwhile she called 911, she reported that her stepson had “been sick for respective days, experiencing vomiting, and was present not breathing.”

In court, prosecutors said that upon uncovering Gavin Peterson successful specified a dire state, Scott archetypal texted Shane Peterson to archer him his lad wasn’t breathing. She besides spoke connected the telephone with him for much than 11 minutes. Before calling 911, she and Tyler Peterson “hid surveillance cameras, removed different items from the country and removed and replaced the doorway knob successful an effort to mislead the constabulary and fell the maltreatment and isolation that had been happening successful the home.”

Twenty-one minutes transpired betwixt Scott uncovering Gavin Peterson and her calling 911.

The boy’s origin of decease was reported to beryllium complications from sepsis, with contributing factors including pneumonia, dehydration and untreated infections. His assemblage had besides shown signs of starvation and respective different carnal wounds.

Neider sentenced Scott to 15 years to beingness successful situation for first-degree murder, 2 sentences of 1 to 15 years for second-degree aggravated kid maltreatment charges, 2 sentences of 1 to 15 years for second-degree obstruction of justness charges, up to 5 years for third-degree kid endangerment, and up to 364 days for the possession oregon usage of a controlled substance, a misdemeanor.

As portion of the plea agreement, the sentences are to beryllium served consecutively.