The Richardson community in the US was mourning the death of Sherin Mathews, the three-year-old Indian girl whose foster father has claimed that she choked while drinking milk, with many people asking why he did not wake his nurse wife when the child was struggling to breathe.
Sherin, who had developmental issues and limited verbal communication skills, was confirmed dead by US police yesterday after over two weeks of investigation. She was missing since October 7.
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 police.
The arrest came a day after the body of a small child was found in a culvert near their home in suburban Dallas.
While the cause of her death was still being probed, the community and neighbourhoods all across Texas are shocked, heartbroken, angry and mourning her death.
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 Barabaa Diamond Johnson asked why did not Wesley Mathews wake his nurse wife as Sherin Mathews choked to death, especially when she is a registered nurse at Children's hospital Dallas. (more)
