Jury finds man guilty of near-fatal child abuse
A Uniontown man was convicted of beating a toddler nearly to death by a Fayette County jury on Tuesday.
A jury of seven men and five women deliberated for about two hours before finding 35-year-old Raymond Matteson guilty of aggravated assault, simple assault, reckless endangerment and endangering the welfare of a child for his role in causing life-threatening injuries to Chase Hay, who was 20 months old in October when the incident occurred in Smithfield.
According to Matteson, who testified in his own defense, Hay was behaving normally on Oct. 4 and fell asleep on the couch not long after his mother, Matteson’s girlfriend Lori Brundege, left for work.
Matteson told the jury he heard the baby wake up and mumble “mama,” and got up from playing video games to check on Hay. The boy’s diaper was dirty, Matteson testified, so he changed it and went to the kitchen to throw out the dirty diaper and wash his hands. While in the kitchen, he testified, he observed Hay’s two sisters playing in the yard and went outside to see what they were up to.
About 10 minutes later, Matteson said, he went back inside to check on Hay and he
found the boy slumped over and turning purple, with his pacifier hanging out of his mouth.
Matteson said he picked Hay up and took him to the sink to run cold water on his head, in an effort to revive the unresponsive child. When that didn’t work, Matteson told the jury, he put the baby in the shower, and at some point, Hay was “in and out,” seeming to open his eyes and mumble.
By then, Matteson’s brother, John Riggle, was on the phone with 911. According to Riggle’s testimony, Matteson saw that Hay’s eyes were beginning to open and demanded that he put the phone down.
Assistant Public Defender Deanna Fahringer asked her client if he indeed told Riggle to call off the paramedics, and Matteson said he thought the child was recovering and emergency treatment may not be necessary.
On cross-examination, Assistant District Attorney Mark Mehalov went over Matteson’s testimony, recalling that Matteson said Hay was fine when he went out to check on the girls and purple and unresponsive 10 minutes later when he went back inside.
“So you’re at the house, and it just happens?” Mehalov said.
Mehalov asked Matteson if he recalled the testimony of Dr. Adelaide Eichman of UPMC-Children’s Hospital, who told jurors that she treated Hay for bleeding on the brain, a lacerated liver and retinal hemorrhaging, injuries she attributed to abuse.
“You heard the doctor testify to the extent of his injuries and you’re saying it just happened?” Mehalov asked.
“I have no explanation,” Matteson replied.
In her closing argument, Fahringer told the jury, “Ladies and gentlemen, this whole trial is going to be based on credibility determinations.”
She asked jurors to consider the testimony of Riggle in light of the fact that he had been convicted of receiving stolen property in the past, which she noted is a crime of dishonesty.
Fahringer also called into question Eichman’s testimony, pointing out that the the doctor had only been working at Children’s Hospital for a couple of months before treating Hay.
“Just because someone is qualified as an expert doesn’t mean (the testimony) is 100 percent accurate,” said Fahringer.
“This is a child,” she said.
“Things happen to children.”
Referring to a broken femur Hay sustained while alone in Matteson’s care in September, which he testified happened when the boy fell down the stairs, Fahringer reminded jurors that there were no reports of suspected child abuse from that incident.
“He can’t explain what happened, he can only tell you what he knows,” Fahringer said.
Matteson wept as Fahringer finished her closing argument and Mehalov stood up and began to address the jury.
In his closing argument, Mehalov told jurors that Matteson’s version of events was not believable.
“The defendant doesn’t explain it to you, and it’s correct, he doesn’t have to,” Mehalov said.
However, he said, it was Matteson’s testimony that the severity of the injuries occurred in a 10-minute time span.
“It defies logic that it happened that way,” Mehalov argued. “He can say whatever he wants because he was the only one there,” said Mehalov.
“This was a horrific injury, ladies and gentlemen, and he caused that.”
After the verdict was handed down, Hay’s family expressed relief outside the courtroom.
“He got what he deserved,” Brundege said.
James Hay, Chase Hay’s father, said he was happy that the jury found Matteson, who he called a “monster”, guilty on all four counts.
“Definitely Ray didn’t win,” said James Hay. “Chase won.”
He said his son is doing well now, and making progress. “He’s gonna do everything he was meant to do,” James Hay said.
“We’re just glad he’s here. We can deal with what comes.”
Senior Judge Gerald R. Solomon ordered Matteson to return for sentencing on May 12 at 10:30 a.m.