Utah man who killed mom, son gets 16 years to life in prison

A Utah man who pleaded guilty to killing his girlfriend and her son has been sentenced to at least 16 years to life in prison.

The 30-year-old Christopher Poulson said Thursday during a hearing in Provo that he feels terrible for the deaths of 23-year-old Emily Quijano and her 3-year-old son Gabriel Almiron and was not in his “right mind” when he killed them.

Last month, Poulson pleaded guilty to killing the pair in 2015. He has said he was using methamphetamine and drinking alcohol at the time.

Utah police discovered their skeletal remains a few weeks ago in a shallow grave near the small town of Eureka about 60 miles south of Salt Lake City.

A judge rejected an earlier plea deal that called for a maximum sentence of 30 years as Poulson helped police locate the victims’ bodies.