Man sentenced to life in prison for murdering his infant son

Paul Mathew Revell is sentenced to life.

Reno, Nevada. Feb. 27, 2015. Paul Mathew Revell, DOB 7/23/91, was sentenced on (Feb. 26, 2015) by the Honorable Jerome Polaha to Life in the Nevada Department of Corrections, based on a jury verdict of guilty for the crime of Murder of the First Degree. Mr. Revell will not be eligible for parole until he has served 20 years in prison. The conviction for First Degree Murder was based on felony-murder theory of liability for child abuse.

The trial began Nov. 3, 2014 and lasted approximately three weeks. The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Zach Young, and Deputy Public Defenders Linda Nordvig and Chris Fortier represented Mr. Revell. The jury deliberated for approximately two hours before returning its verdict. During the trial, the evidence established that on Sept. 10, 2010, Mr. Revell was alone with his 4-month-old biological son (Skye), while his girlfriend and the mother of Skye was at school. Mr. Revell, his girlfriend, and Skye lived together at the Wonder Lodge in downtown Reno. At 1 p.m., Mr. Revell called the manager’s office, claiming that his son swallowed a bag. The manager in turn dialed 911. Emergency personnel responded and determined that there was no airway obstruction. Skye, who was unresponsive, was transported to Renown Regional Medical Center, where CT imaging identified new and old brain hemorrhages. Skye was declared brain dead three days later on Sept. 13, 2010.

Mr. Revell, in an interview with detectives from the Reno Police Department Robbery-Homicide Unit, stated that he was playing with Skye in their room when he had to go to the bathroom. He claimed that he placed Skye on the bed and was in the bathroom for approximately 30 seconds when he heard a thump, came out, and saw that Skye had fallen off the bed and his head was lying on a child’s bouncy chair which was next to the bed. Mr. Revell stated that Skye’s head then fell off of the bouncy chair and struck the floor, at which time his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he had labored breathing. It was at this time that Mr. Revell stated he called the manager’s office. Pursuant to a search warrant, police measured the height of the bed and bouncy chair. The bed was determined to be 1 foot 9 inches off the ground, and the seat of the bouncy chair was determined to be 8 inches off the ground.

An autopsy and separate forensic neuropathology examination were conducted, and the final diagnosis was that Skye suffered from diffuse and severe traumatic brain, spinal and ophthalmic injuries. The cause of Skye’s death was determined to be non-accidental head injuries, and the manner of death was determined to be homicide. The medical examiner and neuropathologist concluded that the fall from the bed, as described by Mr. Revell, was inconsistent with the diagnosed injuries, and were caused by inflicted trauma.

Any questions should be addressed to Deputy District Attorneys, Zach Young at the District Attorney’s Office at 328-3200.

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