This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A St. George man was sentenced to prison Friday for fatally shaking his fiancee's 4-month-old son more than eight years ago.
Gregory T. Fullerton, 39, was found guilty last month by a 5th District Court jury of first-degree felony child-abuse homicide in the July 2008 death of Nicholas Long.
On Friday, Judge Pamela Heffernan gave Fullerton the maximum sentence by sending him to the Utah State Prison for a term of five-years-to-life.
On July 23, 2008, St. George police received a report of a child not breathing.
Nicholas died after arriving by helicopter at Primary Children's Medical Center in Salt Lake City.
A doctor told police the baby's injuries were likely caused by shaking, according to charging documents.
While being interviewed by police, Fullerton initially denied hurting the boy, but then said he had dropped him, charges state.
Later, Fullerton said he became frustrated with two children crying and began to "flip-flop" Nicholas, charges state.
"Gregory admitted to shaking the baby back and forth in a side-to-side motion," according charges. "Gregory admitted that he heard the baby's neck 'snap.' "