Father pleads guilty in shaking death of 4-month-old son

Friday, April 29, 2005 | 9:18 a.m.

A 30-year-old Henderson father who originally faced murder charges for violently shaking his 4-month-old son, inflicting severe brain injuries that killed the baby 11 days later, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder on Thursday.

As part of John Schutts' guilty plea Chief Deputy District Attorney Tom Carroll has agreed to recommend Schutts should be sentenced to 10 to 25 years in prison for the death of his son, Matthew.

District Judge Jackie Glass, however, will have final say on Schutts' fate and could sentence him to 10 years to life in prison at his June 24 sentencing.

Tears rolled down Schutts' cheeks as he pleaded guilty and told Glass he understood the nature of his plea agreement with prosecutors.

Carroll said Schutts' wife and mother of the deceased child knew about and supported the negotiations offered to her husband.

Schutts' lawyer, Deputy Public Defender Robert Amundson, said this was a tragic case of a hardworking man, father and husband who snapped under stress.

Amundson said in the days leading up to the death of his son, Schutts' wife had outpatient surgery. When she came home she suffered hemorrhages and even passed out due to blood loss, Amundson said.

The public defender said Schutts' wife was forced to have emergency surgery and upon returning home their 4-month-old son began crying.

Amundson said Schutts succumbed to stress and snapped as he "grabbed the child recklessly."

Schutts shook the boy "way too hard, but never intended to kill his son."

"It's a unbelievable tragedy for a man who cares so much for his children," Amundson said.

Schutts has a 2-year-old daughter with his wife and shares custody of her two boys that she had from a previous relationship.