A day after 37-year-old Wesley Mathews, the adoptive father of three-year-old Sherin Mathews, was re-arrested by the US police, a shocking revelation came forth – he admitted to removing the child’s body from their home.
Changing his earlier statement to the Richardson police, in which he had said that he sent Sherin out of the house at 3 am on 7 October as punishment for not drinking milk, Wesley said on Tuesday, 24 October, that the child had in fact choked on her milk.
According to an arrest affidavit, a copy of which is available with The News Minute, Wesley said that he had been trying to get Sherin to drink her milk in the garage.
“Wesley said that she wouldn’t listen to him. Eventually, the 3-year-old girl began to drink the milk. Wesley Mathews then physically assisted the 3-year-old in drinking the milk. The 3-year-old began to choke. She was coughing and her breathing slowed. Eventually, Wesley Mathews no longer felt a pulse on the child and believed she had died. Wesley Mathews then admitted to removing the body from the home,” reads a portion of the affidavit.Affidavit
The body of a small child was recovered from a culvert near the Mathews’ home on the morning of 22 October. Police had said at the time that they had not made a positive identification on the body, but on Tuesday, 24 October, it was confirmed that the body had indeed been Sherin’s. Police officials said dental matches had been made.
After he made the new confession, police charged Wesley with injuring the child. US media agencies report that he could be charged with murder if further investigations prove foul play.
Sherin Mathews was adopted by Wesley and Sini, a couple from Kerala. As an infant, she had been found abandoned in Gaya in Bihar and later put up for adoption. Originally named ‘Saraswathi’, the tragic end of this child’s life is being mourned by thousands.
According to multiple reports, there are no charges against Sini Mathews, Sherin's adoptive mother.
Earlier on Monday, 23 October, both Wesley and his wife Sini Mathews appeared in court separately, in a case related to the custody of their elder daughter, who was removed by the Child Protection Services (CPS) soon after Sherin's disappearance. Posting the case for 13 November, the court said that the elder child will continue to remain in foster care.
(This article was originally published in The News Minute.)
(Breathe In, Breathe Out: Are you finding it tough to breathe polluted air? Join hands with FIT to find #PollutionKaSolution. Send in your suggestions to fit@thequint.com or WhatsApp @ +919999008335)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)