A day after 37-year-old Wesley Mathews, the adoptive father of 3-year-old Sherin Mathews was re-arrested by the US police, he has admitted to removing the child's body from their home.
Changing his earlier statement to the Richardson police that he had sent Sherin out of home at 3 am on October 7 as punishment for not drinking milk, Wesley said on Tuesday that the child had in fact choked on her milk.
According to an arrest affidavit, a copy of which is available with TNM, 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.
The body of a small child was recovered from a culvert near the Mathews' home on Sunday morning. Though initially the police had said that they were yet to make a positive identification, on Tuesday, 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 for 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. Born Saraswathi, the tragic end of this child's life is being mourned by thousands.