The Richardson community in the US is mourning the death of Sherin Mathews, the three-year-old Indian girl whose foster father claimed that she choked while drinking milk.
Many people have been left wondering why he did not wake his nurse wife up when the child was struggling to breathe.
Sherin, who had developmental issues and limited verbal communication skills, was confirmed dead by US police on Tuesday after over two weeks of investigation. She was missing since 7 October.
Wesley Mathews, 37, the father of Sherin, told the police that his daughter choked while drinking milk and he removed her body from the house as he "believed she had died".
He was re-arrested and charged with first-degree felony injury to a child due to a conflicting statement to the police. The arrest came a day after the body of a small child was found in a culvert near their home in suburban Dallas.
Sherin Mathew’s Neighbours Shocked, Angry and Heartbroken
While the cause of her death was still being probed, the community and neighbourhoods all across Texas are shocked, heartbroken and angry at the unfortunate demise of the child.
Wesley's wife Sini Mathews, who is a registered nurse and could have helped her, was reportedly sleeping in her room.
“All these lies, first punishing the girl and putting her under tree, later choking her in a garage at 3 AM for not drinking milk, does not add up. It is heartbreaking and shocking,” said a teary-eyed resident Diana. “It will be another story soon, when police will find the actual cause of the death,” she said.
Another neighbour Barbara Diamond Johnson asked why Wesley Mathews did not wake his nurse wife up as Sherin Mathews choked to death, especially when she is a registered nurse at the Children's hospital in Dallas.
She said:
I’m normally quiet about such things but as a paediatric nurse and the mother of a child who had trouble aspirating, you don’t just say ‘Oops they died’ You call 911! You run screaming for anyone to help you. I’m sorry, this is more fishy than leaving her by a tree. RIP sweet girl, no one will hurt you any more.
"I think everybody is just ready for closure and we just want her to be at peace," said resident Gauthami Vemula.
On Sunday evening, many gathered for a prayer vigil a few hours after learning of the instances that led to the child’s death. It was not the first time music and prayer filled the air in the 900 block of Sunningdale in Richardson.
Let’s just try our best to breathe and regroup to focus our energy back on this little girl, this princess and find ways to seek her justice as best and as quick as possible,” said vigil organiser Omair Siddiqi.
Police are still investigating how long the girl's body had been in the drainage ditch.
Wesley, who works in an IT company, was charged on Monday night with injury to a child, a punishable offence that can lead to a life-term sentence.
Sherin’s body was identified on Tuesday and autopsy results are pending. It is unclear whether authorities believe Wesley’s new account of what happened.
Police have tried to get Sini to voluntarily answer questions, said Richardson police sergeant Kevin Perlich. She works at Youngsters Medical Middle in Dallas, the hospital confirmed on Tuesday.
The couple adopted Sherin from India last year, according to media reports. The girl had been found in the bushes before authorities sent her to an orphanage.
Neighbour Joe Keonine said on Tuesday that he never saw Sherin or her four-year-old sister outside. But he would sometimes see their parents doing yard work or Sini outside in her scrubs, likely on her way to or from work.
He said the neighbours are worried about what will happen to Sherin's sister, who is now in a foster care.
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