Incarcerated family members of Gavin Peterson ordered not to contact each other
Dec 20, 2024, 2:26 PM | Updated: 5:27 pm
OGDEN — After 12-year-old Gavin Peterson was found dying of starvation in a West Haven home on July 9, he was rushed to the hospital and ultimately died there. Three of his family members, who are accused of abusing him and ultimately causing his death, appeared in court Wednesday, where they were ordered not to contact each other.
Gavin’s father, Shane Peterson, 46; brother, Tyler Peterson, 21; and father’s girlfriend, Nichole Scott, 50, arrived in the courtroom and were seated quietly, all handcuffed and outfitted in orange jumpsuits. Shane and Tyler Peterson wore shackles on their feet, with orange sandals and socks.
Shane Peterson and Tyler Peterson’s feet shown shackled at a preliminary hearing on Dec. 18, 2024. (Pool photo via KUTV)
The hearing was set to schedule preliminary dates for the upcoming trial, which is currently expected to trial the three defendants together. In addition to state prosecutors and victim advocates, three attorneys who are set to represent the defendants separately were also in attendance: Jason Widdison for Shane Peterson, Ryan Bushell for Tyler Peterson and Randall Marshall for Scott.
Marshall had said he was going to try and remove Tyler Peterson from being tried alongside his father and Scott, and even requested a mental health evaluation for him, saying he had been “cut off from the family.” However, Tyler Peterson was still scheduled for the same trial hearings with his co-defendants on Wednesday.
View a timeline of events in Gavin Peterson’s case.
The 2nd District Court judge Camille Neider ordered the three defendants not to contact each other, even though Tyler Peterson and Shane Peterson are being held in the same jail. The no-contact order included transportation, prohibiting any of the defendants from being transported to courthouse hearings together.
Dates for preliminary hearings were set, first to confirm the status on March 3, 2025. The first evidentiary hearing was set for May 12 and 13, 2025, where the first witnesses and “experts” will be called in the case, Neider said.
Contributing: Garna Mejia, KSL TV
