Matthew Nuttall

A Jamestown man has pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter before his trial in the 2024 death of a child was to begin.

District Attorney Jason Schmidt said today that Matthew Nuttall, 27, of Jamestown pleaded guilty Wednesday in Chautauqua County Court. Jury selection on Mr. Nuttall’s case was scheduled to begin Tuesday, but at the final pre-trial conference held Wednesday Nuttall unexpectedly pled to the most serious charge on which he was indicted, leading to the trial’s cancelation.

“These are the cases which hit the hardest,” said DA Schmidt. “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. A few days later, Aniyah, only 8 months old, strangled to death with blunt force injuries to the head and neck. Then a few days after that, in Silver Creek during the same month, 12 year old Mya, neglected to the extent that her undiagnosed, untreated diabetes shut down her organs, sent her into a coma and eventually killed her. Each horrific and heart-wrenching. Each senseless and completely avoidable. Each offensive to us as a society whose principle value is to protect the weak, the vulnerable and the innocent. These are the cases which keep all of us up at night for days without end. They scream out for justice. Securing convictions against those who are criminally responsible and punishing those persons to the fullest extent of the law is the only way forward, and I and my trial team are grateful and appreciative to work alongside very capable, dedicated investigators committed to making this happen.”

Nuttall will now be sentenced on April 20th, the same day on which Sean Thomas of Jamestown is also scheduled to be sentenced. In December, Thomas also pled guilty to first-degree manslaughter just before his jury trial was scheduled to begin, admitting to causing the death of eight month old Aniyah Turk, which also occurred in Jamestown in April 2024.

“The Jamestown Police Department Investigative Section worked efficiently and effectively to investigate this incident, leading to the arrest of Matthew E. Nuttall for Manslaughter in the 1st Degree,” said Jamestown Police Sergeant Daniel Overend. “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. When consequences are proportionate, they affirm the rule of law, reinforce community standards, and provide clarity that actions carry appropriate responsibility. 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. The Jamestown Police Department would like to thank the Chautauqua County District Attorney’s Office and the Chautauqua County Coroner’s Office for their assistance with the investigation and the successful prosecution of Nuttall for his heinous acts.”