New documents confirm reports of abuse inside of Gavin Peterson’s home

WEST HAVEN — The KSL Investigators have obtained several records from the Weber County Sheriff’s Office that provide new details in the case of Gavin Peterson. 

The documents confirm that Utah law enforcement and the Division of Child and Family Services received multiple reports of child abuse linked to the West Haven home where 12-year-old Gavin Peterson died in July.

Multiple files were obtained by KSL Investigator Daniella Rivera.

Specifically, the records reveal details about the child abuse investigation involving Gavin’s older sister, Mayloni Peterson. Mayloni Peterson was interviewed by officials on at least two occasions in 2019.

Although the records are heavily redacted and have the names of minors blacked out, they corroborate Mayloni Peterson’s claims of abuse. She spoke with KSL TV in July.

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On March 27, 2019, deputies received a call from the vice principal and a school counselor at Rocky Mountain Junior High School to report that Mayloni Peterson had been abused by her stepmother, Nichole Scott.

The vice principal received an email alert from the SafeUT tip line alerting them to Mayloni Peterson’s suspected abuse, including a bruise “that she said came from her parents.”

Two of Mayloni Peterson’s friends reported seeing a softball-sized bruise on her right thigh in the girls’ locker room the previous day. She told them her “stepmother had slapped and kicked her in the face, and had cut her hair as a consequence for using her brother’s toothpaste,” according to the deputy’s report.

Mayloni Peterson also told her friends that she did “not feel safe going home or being around her stepmother.”

The deputy notified a DCFS caseworker and requested that a crime scene investigator respond to take pictures of the injuries. It is unclear if the Weber County Sheriff’s Office and DCFS took further action.

Two months later, on May 25, 2019, deputies received another call involving Mayloni Peterson. This time, the call came from her biological mother, Melanie Peterson.

“Comp[lainant] believes that her ex-husband’s GF is abusing her daughter,” a system report indicates. “Comp states that daughter is saying GF put Zip Ties around her and locked her in a room without food for days.”

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Deputies interviewed Mayloni Peterson between May 30 and June 4, 2019.

“This is the second case I have had with this child and this family. The prior case was a physical abuse case as well, and misdemeanor charges are currently pending with regards to a bruise left by Nichole Scott, the child’s father’s fiancé and a co-habitant at the home,” a deputy wrote in the heavily redacted report dated May 30.

The report also reveals that a Child Protective Services agent was assigned to the case.

Weber County deputies and DCFS were informed of allegations that Mayloni Peterson “had missed the last two weeks of school and was zip-tied to the bed. Her hair was buzz cut, and she was forced to perform hours of manual labor,” the report said.

The report further documents Shane Peterson, Mayloni’s biological father and Scott’s interview with deputies.

“(Scott) was again emotional and did most of the talking,” a detective wrote.

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Scott alleged that Mayloni Peterson was “defiant” and had tried to run away from home while Shane Peterson and Scott went to the store.

“Shane (Peterson) said that because there were only two weeks left in school, they kept [Mayloni Peterson] home the rest of the school year. Shane (Peterson) said they feared that [Mayloni Peterson] would run away from school if they allowed her to return,” the report said.

Scott Peterson also told the detective that she shaved off Mayloni Peterson’s hair because “she smelled like urine” and “had peed in the bed,” alleging that she “intentionally urinated in the whole bed out of spite.”

“(Scott) said she was enraged and returned to the bathroom where [Mayloni Peterson] was still smirking. (Scott) said she took the hair clipper and gave [Mayloni Peterson] a buzz cut,” the report stated.

The unredacted portion of the report concludes with Shane Peterson explaining why he let Mayloni Peterson move in with her mother, Melanie Peterson.

“Shane (Peterson) decided that if [Mayloni Peterson] was that determined to live with her mother, and was going to continue to disrupt the house the way she was, then he would allow her to live with her mother… he dropped her off and drove away,” the report said.

On July 9, 2024, deputies responded to Shane Peterson’s home, where they found Mayloni Peterson’s youngest brother, Gavin, dying on the bathroom floor. Prosecutors allege Gavin died of malnourishment and abuse at the hands of Shane Peterson, Nichole Scott, and Gavin’s oldest brother, Tyler Peterson.

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In a request for commentary, the Weber County Sheriff’s Office provided the following statement:

Our primary focus at this time is the current case, which continues to be an ongoing investigation. We have and will continue to review our actions to determine what improvements could be made. Due to the ongoing nature of this investigation and with the intent to not deprive a person of a fair or impartial hearing, we will not be providing additional statements or interviews at this time.

In a statement to KSL, DCFS said they hadn’t seen the records released by the Weber County Sheriff’s Office and are, therefore, unable to comment on them. DCFS has promised an investigation into Gavin Peterson’s case and said some details surrounding the death will be provided once the investigations conclude.

DCFS Full Statement:

The Utah Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Division of Child and Family Services (DCFS) has not seen the records recently released by law enforcement. DCFS cannot comment on records they have not seen.

Though there is tremendous public interest in this case, we cannot share details of the case while investigations remain open. In cases involving a child fatality or near fatality, DCFS may provide some details surrounding the death once investigations conclude. DCFS respects that each child and family has a right to privacy and remains firm in our commitment to that privacy for the children and families in Utah.

Community members press DCFS for answers on abuse death of Gavin Peterson

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Child abuse resources:

• Utah Domestic Violence Coalition operates a confidential statewide, 24-hour domestic abuse hotline at 1-800-897-LINK (5465). Resources are also available online: udvc.org. The statewide child abuse and neglect hotline is 1-855-323-DCFS (3237).

Help with Children

Those who feel stressed out with a child, who need a break, or who feel like they need counseling or training can reach out to one of the following agencies:

• The Family Support Center has 15 locations throughout the state and offers a free crisis nursery for parents who have to keep appointments or who are stressed out. They also offer counseling and family mentoring. Call 801-955-9110 or visit familysupportcenter.org/contact.php for more information.
• Prevent Child Abuse Utah provides home visiting in Weber, Davis, and Box Elder counties. Parent Educators provide support, education, and activities for families with young children. Their statewide education team offers diverse trainings on protective factors, digital safety, bullying, and child sex trafficking. They are available for in-person or virtual trainings and offer free online courses for the community at pcautah.org.
• The Office of Home Visiting works with local agencies to provide home visits to pregnant women and young families who would like to know more about being parents. Home visitors are trained and can provide information about breastfeeding, developmental milestones, toilet training, nutrition, mental health, home safety, child development, and much more. Find out more at homevisiting.utah.gov.
• The Safe Haven law allows birth parents in Utah to safely and anonymously give up custody of their newborn child at any hospital in the state, with no legal consequences and no questions asked. The child’s mother can drop off the child, or the mother can ask someone else to do it for her. The newborns should be dropped off at hospitals that are open 24 hours a day. Newborns given up in this manner will be cared for by the hospital staff, and the Utah Division of Child and Family Services will find a home for the child. For more information, visit utahsafehaven.org or call the 24-hour hotline at 866-458-0058.