3-year-old Sherin Mathews choked while drinking milk says father in new police statement

Texas man Wesley Mathews who has been charged over the death of his three-year-old adopted daughter, Sherin Mathews, made a confession to the police recently saying his daughter choked while drinking milk, according to a police warrant. The 37-year-old also admitted to removing her body after she stopped breathing.

Sherin's body was recovered on 22 October from a culvert near their house in Richardson, Texas. The cause of the death was still unclear as investigation continued. The girl was reportedly adopted from India.

During previous police questioning, Wesley had said that he left Sherin outside the house on the night of 7 October, following which she went missing. He had made her stand near a large tree close to their house as a punishment for not drinking milk at around 3am local time, but when he returned 15 minutes later she was not there.

However, in a confession made to Richardson police department, in the presence of his attorney, he said his daughter initially refused to drink milk on the night of her death, but later began drinking it on his insistence.

"Wesley Mathews then physically assisted the three-year old girl in drinking the milk," but the girrl began to choke, the warrant stated.

It added: "She was coughing and her breathing slowed. Eventually Wesley Mathews no longer felt a pulse on the child and believes she had died."

Wesley, who has been charged with injury to a child that carries a maximum penalty of life in prison, also admitted that following Sherin's death, he removed her body from the house.