UTAH COUNTY, Sept. 26, 2019 (Gephardt Daily) — Christopher Poulson, who pleaded guilty to the 2015 murder and manslaughter in the deaths of his Orem girlfriend and her toddler son, was sentenced on Thursday.
Poulson, 30, will spend 15 years to life in the Utah State Prison for the shooting death of 23-year-old Emily Almiron, and 1 to 15 years for the death of 3-year-old Gabriel, who suffered fatal injuries while in the sole care of Poulson. The sentences will run consecutively.
Poulson has admitted he used methamphetamine and alcohol while babysitting Gabriel in September of 2015. Poulson said Gabriel suffered injuries and became unresponsive, so he put the child to bed. Almiron reportedly came home later and went to bed.
Poulson has said that when he found Gabriel dead the next day, he panicked and shot Almiron to death as she slept. He then buried mother and son in a shallow grave in Juab County, near Eureka.
As part of a plea deal, Poulson pleaded guilty to the two charges in exchange for having other charges reduced or dropped. Originally, Poulson was charged with two counts of aggravated murder, two counts of desecration of a dead human body, and one count of obstruction of justice.
The proposed deal also included a possibly reduced sentence if Poulson helped officials locate the remains of Almiron and Gabriel. Their bodies were found earlier this month. But last week, a judge rejected that part of the plea deal, electing to give Poulson the maximum sentence.
With the sentences running one after the other, Poulson faces 16 years to life in prison.
