Sometimes you hear horrific stories that remind you just how terrible some people can be. In the spring of 2024, Jamestown, New York, resident Matthew Nuttall allegedly threw a toddler with extreme force, killing him. Apparently, the child was crying, much to Nuttall’s frustration. Babies and toddlers cry as part of their normal development, so it’s particularly horrible when they are killed for doing things that are age-appropriate. Thankfully, the investigation revealed that Nuttall, whose relationship to the boy hasn’t been revealed, was the one who committed the crime. Now, he will spend time in jail.
Twenty-seven-year-old Nuttall pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter for the killing of 16-month-old Isaac Benton on February 18, 2026, according to a news release from the Chautauqua County District Attorney’s Office posted to social media. Jury selection for his trial was supposed to begin on February 24, but he “unexpectedly” entered his plea. “These are the cases which hit the hardest,” District Attorney Jason Schmidt said.
On April 15, 2024, the Jamestown Police Department was notified about the “suspicious death” of a child on April 13, it shared in a social media post. Police began an investigation that led them to discover that Nutall, then 25, had caused the death of the 16-month-old by blunt force trauma. He was taken into custody on April 17.
Nuttall allegedly threw Isaac into a Pack n’ Play because he was frustrated that the toddler wouldn’t stop crying, The Jamestown, New York, Post-Journal reported. The force of the throw severed Isaac’s spine. According to Schmidt, the boy’s “spinal column came out in pieces during the autopsy.”
Isaac was born on December 6, 2022, his obituary stated. The boy “loved the movie ‘Toy Story’, animals, enjoyed playing outside, and walks in the park. He adored his cousins and grandparents.”
“We cannot imagine the hurt that the victim’s family is going through and will go through as the sentencing process commences. Justice is neither served by excess nor by leniency that diminishes the seriousness of wrongdoing,” Jamestown Police Sergeant Daniel Overend shared in the district attorney’s news release.
“We remain committed to advocating for outcomes that reflect these principles, that the sentencing handed down by the court is reflective of the wrongdoing that Nuttall committed and justice is appropriately served,” Overend added in the release.
Nuttall will be sentenced on April 20, 2026, according to the district attorney’s office.
If you suspect child abuse, you can call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 (1-800-4-A-Child) or go to Childhelp.org. The hotline is available 24/7.
