Heartbreak, anger in US city after Indian girl’s death

Houston : People in the US city of Richardson are mourning and angry over the tragic death of 3-year-old Indian girl Sherin Mathews, with many asking why her foster father did not wake his nurse wife when he knew that the toddler was choking on milk and struggling to breathe.

Sherin, who had developmental issues and limited verbal communication skills, was confirmed dead by police in the Texan city of Richardson on Tuesday after over two weeks of searches. She was missing since October 7.

Wesley Mathews, 37, the Indian-American father of Sherin, told the police on Tuesday that his daughter choked while drinking milk and he removed her body from the house as he "believed she had died". He had previously claimed that Sherin went missing after he sent her outside their home at around 3 am on October 7 as punishment for not drinking her milk.

Wesley, who works in an IT company, 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, could have helped her, but she 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 heart-breaking 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 Barabara Diamond Johnson asked why Wesley did not wake his nurse wife as Sherin choked to death, considering that she is a registered nurse at Children's hospital Dallas. People who live in the neighbourhood stopped their cars or their daily walks on Tuesday to see the ditch where Sherin's body was found. They pulled phones from their pockets to take photos of the spot.

Since Sunday, heavy hearts joined in song and prayer for the little girl found in the culvert. "I think everybody is just ready for closure and we just want her to be at peace," said resident Gauthami Vemula.

The incident has left the shocked community with many unanswered questions. Over the past two weeks, Sherin brought the whole community together in the suburb, as countless volunteers searched in and around Richardson hoping to find the toddler.

Sunday evening, many gathered for a prayer vigil a few hours after learning of the heart-breaking developments. "A lot of people are in shock and anger and frustrated. 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.

Meanwhile, Richardson police are sharing new details into their ongoing investigation into the disappearance and death of Sherin. Richardson Police Department sergeant Kevin Perlich told reporters that they had previously searched the area near the culvert where Mathews' body was found on Sunday but had come up empty-handed.

After heavy rainfall overnight Saturday, police returned to the area near East Spring Valley and South Bowser roads with cadaver dogs on Sunday morning, knowing that rain tends to help intensify smells. An investigator and search team said the little girl's clothed body was then found in the culvert, according to Perlich.

On Tuesday, Richardson police made a plea for Sini to agree to speak with the police. She has reportedly not cooperated with the police since the weekend of October 7. Her attorney Kent Starr said she is "distraught" over the loss of her daughter and that she is trying to regain custody of her four-year-old biological daughter who was placed in foster care after her sister's disappearance.