Nikolas Chavez III

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On November 30, 2005, Nikolas was taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick because he was not breathing. At 3:09 p.m. that afternoon, he was pronounced dead. The medical examiner's determined his cause of death to blunt force trauma. Reports showed that Nikolas had been punched twice, causing his back to break, his head to fall back to his hamstrings and half of his blood to leak into his stomach. Nikolas’ godfather Robert Knutsen, was babysitting when Nikolas was brutally beat to death. 

Nikolas’ father Nick Chavez II said he and Knutsen were close friends for six years before his son’s death. "He used to be my best friend, and as a last gift to him, he was the godfather of my son," he said.

 

Knutsen was charged with one count of aggravated manslaughter, two counts of second degree endangering the welfare of a child. Knutsen was acquitted of all charges except one count of child endangerment for failing to provide proper medical attention by waiting too long to call 911. Having served 100 days in prison  Knutsen can apply at the 180 day mark to an Intensive Supervision Probation program, meaning he could be released even earlier than when he is eligible for parole in one year and four months.