Matthew Nuttall stands in Chautauqua County Court flanked by his attorneys as he awaits his sentencing for causing the death of a 16-month old child. P-J photo by Greg Bacon

MAYVILLE – A Jamestown man will be spending 15 years in prison for his role in the death of a 16-month-old child.

It appears District Attorney Jason Schmidt was unhappy with the sentence.

On Thursday, 27-year-old Matthew Nuttall appeared in Chautauqua County Court to be sentenced after pleading guilty to first-degree manslaughter in the death of Isaac Benton.

Isaac died in April 2024 from blunt force trauma after being thrown into a portable crib.

Before Chautauqua County Court Judge David Foley handed down the sentence, both Schmidt and Public Defender Nathaniel Barone were permitted to comment.

Schmidt said after reviewing the Pre-Sentencing Investigation paperwork, he wasn’t convinced that Nuttall had accepted responsibility for what had happened.

“He indicates he’s a victim – he’s a victim of bias, he’s a victim of lies,” he said.

According to Schmidt, when Nuttall first called 911, he told dispatchers that he had fed his stepson Isaac strawberries and that he was having an allergic reaction.

“Mr. Nuttall kept up with that lie, not just to the first responders who were there to provide medical treatment to Isaac, but also to the hospital staff when Isaac was transported, to Isaac’s mother, to the family, to the coroner,” Schmidt said, adding “there is no history of food allergies.”

Schmidt said he spoke with the coroner who became suspicious and an autopsy was ordered. During the autopsy, they found a suspicious contusion on Isaac’s lower back, where they found that the baby’s vertebrae had been separated.

They also found signs of pre-existing injuries that were already starting to heal.

Schmidt said one expert had testified in a grand jury hearing that injuries like this would equate to a “fall from Niagara Falls or a car accident.”

Schmidt argued the Pre-Sentencing Investigation shows no remorse by Nuttall.

“He states he doesn’t believe it’s his fault. He has difficulty processing why and how he is to blame for Isaac’s passing away. He doesn’t understand. He thinks the charges are unfair,” he said.

When Judge Foley asked Schmidt what sentence Nuttall should get, Schmidt responded, “No less than 20 years.”

Foley said because the plea agreement offered by the court was for 15 years, he was unable to sentence Nuttall beyond that because that would invalidate the agreement.

Schmidt said if Nuttall wanted to remove his guilty plea, he would be willing to prosecute the case.

“If Mr. Nuttall is an innocent man, he should have never pled,” he said.

Foley cut Schmidt off, saying he “heard enough” and asked Barone if he wanted to speak.

Barone insisted that his client does take responsibility for Isaac’s death.

“I would just suggest to the court that Mr. Nuttall isn’t playing any games. He’s not avoiding consequences. He’s not trying to be deceptive. He’s not trying to mislead anyone,” he said.

Barone said Nuttall is “a product of how he developed, based on how he was raised.”

Barone noted that Nuttall does not have a criminal record, served in the military and was honorably discharged, and grew up in foster care.

Barone said by accepting the plea deal offered by the court, Nuttall is “accepting responsibility for what he has done.”

After Barone spoke, Nuttall stood before the court and spoke as well.

“This is something that has changed me, something I know. I don’t know. It’s just been like, I’ll have a hard time with it. I’ll have a hard time reflecting on it. I’ve had a long two years of going through what happened that day. Yes, I take responsibility for it and I never did anything like that in my entire life,” he said.

Nuttall also apologized to the family and the court for what transpired.

Before announcing the sentence, Foley noted this is a difficult situation and that no amount of prison time can bring Isaac back.

“As an individual, my heart goes out to anyone who loses a child anytime, let alone a 16-month-old,” he said.

Foley also said he believes Nuttall accepted responsibility for his actions when he entered the guilty plea and noted the lack of criminal history. Foley officially sentenced Nuttall to 15 years in prison plus five years post-release supervision. Isaac’s family was in the courtroom during the sentencing. A member of the District Attorney’s office said they did not wish to speak to The Post-Journal afterward.

Last month, Foley sentenced Sean Thomas of Jamestown to 20 years in prison for the strangulation death of 8-month-old Aniyah Turk.

In that case, Schmidt said he was satisfied with the sentence handed down.