Matthew Nuttall

A Jamestown man is facing second-degree manslaughter charges after an investigation into the death of a 16-month-old child earlier this month.

Jamestown police were notified April 15 of a suspicious death of a child that occurred April 13 in the city. An investigation showed Matthew E. Nuttall, 25, allegedly caused the death of a 16-month-old child by blunt force trauma. Nuttall was charged April 17 with second-degree manslaughter and was arraigned April 18 by Judge George Panebianco before being sent to the Chautauqua County Jail on $500,000 cash bail or $1 million property bond.

A preliminary hearing was held Monday after which Nuttall was held for action by a Chautauqua County Grand Jury. Nuttall remains in custody.

According to District Attorney Jason Schmidt, Matthew Nuttall had a romantic relationship with the infant’s mother and lived with them. He is not the child’s biological father.

“He was essentially providing childcare while she was working. He got frustrated because the baby was crying and eventually, actually, forcibly slammed the baby down onto the ground,” Schmidt said.

The baby’s head allegedly hit a Pack-and-Play portable crib and the child’s spinal cord was severed, which caused the child’s death.

Jamestown police officers are working with the Chautauqua County District Attorney’s Office, the Chautauqua County Coroner’s Office and the Erie County Medical Examiner’s Office to proceed in Grand Jury proceedings, where further charges are likely to be presented, including upgrading the charge to first-degree manslaughter.