Sherin Mathews case: Father says ‘removed body’ after watching her choke to death on milk

Residents of Richardson, Texas, get a close up view of a drain ditch opening that has become a makeshift memorial site for Sherin Mathews. The police found a body in the drain, which was later identified as the three-year-old. (AP Photo)

A day after the body of three-year-old Sherin Mathews was found in Richardson, Texas, police said Wesley Mathews voluntarily revised his statement to admit that he had “removed the body” of his adopted daughter from his house after she choked to death on milk. Wesley, who had filed a missing persons complaint on October 7, is said to have initially told the police that Sherin had wandered away from their residence at around 3.15 am after being “punished” for not drinking milk.

In an interview to the police on Monday, Wesley said he “physically assisted” his daughter in drinking milk, when she began to choke, cough, and “her breathing slowed,” reported the Associated Press. When he heard no pulse and believed his daughter had died, Wesley “then admitted to removing the body from the home.” According to an affidavit filed by the police, Wesley did not mention administering medical aid to Sherin. Further, CCTV footage shows the family’s Acura SUV had left the house between 4 and 5 am on the morning Sherin went “missing”.

Last Sunday, the Richardson police located a body in a culvert beneath a road half a mile away from the Wesley’s residence. An autopsy of the body is yet to be released to identify the cause of death, reported AP.

Wesley has been charged with first-degree felony injury to a child and is held on a bond of $1 million. He is reportedly lodged in Richardson City Jail.

The Indian-American girl was reported missing on October 7 (File Photo)

Richardson police spokesperson Sgt Kevin Perlich said the investigation is ongoing despite the admission. “This by no means completes our investigation. It is possible there would be additional arrests or modifications of the charges as the investigation proceeds,” he said, reported AP.

A stretcher is moved from the location where the body of a child was found in Richardson, Texas, Sunday, Oct. 22, 2017. (Photo via AP)

Sherin was adopted by Wesley and his wife, Sini Mathews, from an orphanage in Nalanda in Bihar, in 2016. The three-year-old, who was called Saraswati before moving to Texas, had developmental issues and limited verbal communication skills.

The couple’s biological daughter, who is four years old, has been taken into foster care until a custody hearing in November, according to AP. Sherin was adopted by the couple as they wanted a sibling for their first daughter.