GUILTY PA - Mason Hunt, 2, beaten to death, Norwood, 3 Feb 2015

Two-year-old Mason Hunt was "terrorized during the last two days of his life," Delaware County District Attorney Jack Whelan said Friday announcing the arrests of the boy's mother and her boyfriend on third-degree murder, aggravated assault and related offenses...

We believe both played an active role in the horrific death of this boy," Whelan said at a press conference, noting that as many as 120 contusions were found on Mason Hunt's body

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The trial of a Glenolden couple accused of killing 2-year-old Mason Hunt in February 2015 is scheduled to begin this morning before Common Pleas Court Judge James Nilon.

Shannon Matthews, 30, of Chester, and Daniel Grafton, 31, of Nether Providence, each face charges of third-degree murder, conspiracy to third-degree murder, endangering the welfare of children, involuntary manslaughter, and aggravated and simple assault. Grafton is also charged with reckless endangerment. Both defendants are being held without bail at the county prison in Concord.

Galantino offered both defendants a plea deal of 12 to 24 years for third-degree murder last week, but those offers were rejected. Nilon said Matthews and Grafton could each face 41 to 82 years if convicted on all counts and sentenced consecutively.

McDonald, D’Alonzo and Assistant District Attorney Ryan Grace selected a panel of jurors Thursday who were told to report to the courthouse this morning for the beginning of trial.

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A Norwood woman accused of murdering her 2-year-old son allegedly told her employer’s client that she “hated” her child and wanted to give him away.

“She said that she hated her Suboxone baby,” according to a patient of the family practice located under Shannon Matthew’s apartment at 425 Chester Pike. “(She said) he was bad, he was a bad boy. There was something wrong with him because of the medication.”

The patient testified Monday that she went to Sutton’s office about once a month since 2010 with her fiancé. She said Matthews repeatedly told her Mason Hunt was a problem child, especially in the few visits before his death, and offered to give her the boy at least three times.

“(Matthews) said that she cannot stand Mason,” according to the patients’ fiancé, who accompanied her to Sutton’s office. “She said that she loved her other kid. She said that she wanted us to take (Mason) from her.”

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Also testifying Monday was the child’s grandmother, Barbara Balthusconis, who said she had seen bruises on Mason Hunt in the months before his death. She described Mason as a happy, normal little boy, but a “bugger” who would sometimes curse and spit.

Paul Hunt testified that his son was unable to come home from the hospital for six weeks after he was born due to having Subutex, caffeine and nicotine in his system. He said Matthews had been advised she might lose the baby if she stopped taking the Subutex.

Paul Hunt said he never noticed bruises on his son’s body, but did once see two bruises on his cheeks that looked like he had been pinched by a thumb and two fingers.

He told Deputy District Attorney Michael Galantino that he received a call at about 4 a.m. Jan. 5, 2015, indicating his son had suffered an eye injury. Paul Hunt said Matthews told him Grafton had poured seasoned salt into the boy’s eyes.

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A Nether Providence man accused of murder in the death of 2-year-old Mason Hunt testified Thursday that he attempted to resuscitate the child after Hunt collapsed in his girlfriend’s apartment Feb. 3, 2015.

Daniel Grafton, 33, denied ever abusing the boy or attempting to cover up bruises on his body and said he tried to convince Hunt’s mother, Shannon Matthews, to take him to a doctor in the days before his death.

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Also testifying Thursday was forensic pathologist Dr. Jonathan Arden, who said he could not pinpoint the exact cause or mechanism of Hunt’s death.

While Arden agreed with Hellman that the child had clearly been abused, he said none of Hunt’s injuries appeared to be enough to have killed him, even when combined.

Hunt did not appear to have lost a substantial amount of blood and Arden said he was unable to tell from blood samples if Hunt was suffering from decreased blood plasma, known as hypovolemia, due to various attempts to resuscitate him at the hospital.

Arden said hypovolemia would present in an adult as a steady decline in health as blood pressure dropped and heart rate increased. But children present differently, he said, and are able to maintain a high blood pressure until a tipping point when they reach a “crash and burn stage.” Arden said Hunt’s behavior as described by Grafton was consistent with that scenario.

If pressed for a manner of death, Arden said he would lean toward homicide, but added there did not seem to be any definitive single cause he could identify and he was unable to directly connect the abuse to Hunt’s death in a way that satisfied the mechanism.

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The mother of a 2-two-old boy who died in 2015 after suffering multiple internal and external injuries was convicted of murder and related crimes Friday.

Shannon Matthews, 31, of Norwood, was found guilty of third-degree murder, aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of a child in the death of Mason Hunt Feb. 3, 2015.

Her boyfriend, Daniel Grafton, 33, was also found guilty of endangering the welfare of a child. The jury deliberated for less than three and a half hours before delivering its verdict.

Judge James Nilon revoked bail for Matthews and set bail for Grafton at $25,000 unsecured. Grafton will also have to be on electronic home monitoring pending sentencing, which has been scheduled for Jan. 18.

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A Norwood mother who was convicted of third-degree murder in December for the 2015 death of 2-two-old Mason Hunt was sentenced to 24 to 48 years in a state prison Wednesday.

“This was the hardest case to watch and to preside over,” said Delaware County Court of Common Pleas Judge James Nilon before handing down the sentence. “(It is) an incredible tragedy. This child could have been saved.”

Shannon Matthews, 31, was also convicted on charges of aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of a child in Hunt’s death Feb. 3, 2015. Her boyfriend, Daniel Grafton, 33, was found guilty of endangering the welfare of a child.

Grafton was sentenced in December to one year less a day to two years less a day confinement and was placed on immediate parole. He was also given three years of probation and ordered to perform 300 hours of community service.

Nilon gave Matthews the maximum penalty of 20 to 40 years for the murder, as well as four to eight consecutive years for the assault and five years of probation for the endangerment charge. She is not eligible for early release.

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Deputy District Attorney Michael Galantino also read this short letter from Hunt’s brother: “I want my baby brother back. It’s not fair that she made him have to leave us. Why did she do that? I hurt so much every day. I miss playing with him. We used to sleep in the same bedroom. Now he’s gone. It hurts so much inside.”

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