A father from New York killed his 16-month-old son by forcefully slamming him into a Pack-and-Play portable crib, resulting in a severed spine.
Matthew Nuttall entered a guilty plea for first-degree manslaughter on Wednesday concerning the death of Isaac Benton in Jamestown, as announced by the Chautauqua County District Attorney’s Office. The police initiated a probe into the 27-year-old dad on April 15, 2024, after receiving reports of a suspicious death that occurred in a Jamestown residence just two days before. Investigators determined that Isaac succumbed to blunt force trauma.
Matthew Nuttall was frustrated with son’s crying
According to a report from The Post-Journal, Nuttall was frustrated with his son’s crying and he threw him into the portable crib, which caused a fatal spinal injury to the toddler,
While giving an update about the case, District Attorney Jason Schmidt said, “These are the cases which hit the hardest. Isaac, only 16 months old, slammed onto a Pack ‘n Play with such force that his spinal column came out in pieces during the autopsy.”
Probe into Isaac Benton’s death
The Investigative Section of the Jamestown Police Department conducted a thorough and effective investigation into this incident, resulting in the arrest of Matthew E. Nuttall for First Degree Manslaughter, stated Jamestown Police Sergeant Daniel Overend.
First-degree manslaughter is classified as a Class B violent felony in the state of New York, carrying a minimum prison sentence of five years and a maximum of 25 years.
Matthew Nuttall’s case hearing
Nutall was scheduled to stand trial on Tuesday. However, he unexpectedly entered a guilty plea during a pre-trial conference last week, according to the Chautauqua County District Attorney’s Office.
Nutall is now set to be sentenced on April 20.
The toddler was born on December 6, 2022, in Buffalo. A funeral service will be held at Trinity Church, Frewsburg on April 19.
