Sherin Mathews, the 3-year-old girl who was reported missing by her adoptive father and found in a suburban Dallas, Texas, culvert in October, suffered multiple bone fractures, a doctor said on Nov. 29.
The toddler was adopted from India and lived with her adoptive parents, Wesley and Sini Mathews, and their biological daughter.
Today Dallas M.E. has confirmed the identity of child recovered on 10/22 as 3yo Sherin Mathews using dental records. Cause of death pending. pic.twitter.com/Xkhg0TeEo4
— Richardson Police (@RichardsonTX_PD) October 24, 2017
Dr. Suzanne Dakil testified in a three-hour court hearing where Sherin’s adoptive parents were seeking to recover custody of their biological child, reported The Dallas Morning News. Their biological daughter, also 3 years old, was placed in foster care, but was transferred to her relatives earlier this month.
Dakil said she found several bone fractures that were inconsistent with the cause of the injuries that the Mathews had told her about.
The family told Dakil that Sherin had suffered a bone fracture last September when her sister had pushed her off the couch. In January this year, another doctor referred Sherin to Dakil because she was underweight, The Dallas Morning News reported, citing court testimony.
The next month, the toddler was hospitalized for a skin infection and possible joint and muscle infections. Dakil said the girl had injuries in her upper-arm bones, which the mother said was due to her slipping off a playground set. The doctor testified that Sherin’s injuries were not consistent with that explanation.
Dakil further told the court that after looking at a series of X-rays, she determined the toddler also had a number of fractures in her legs. The mother, she said, explained that the reason for the fractures was because Sherin had brittle bones as a result of being fed rice and coffee creamer in India.
Sini Mathews arrested today. Arrest affidavit posted on our website at https://t.co/HEIVgDrYiq pic.twitter.com/1yrGOwPvcb
— Richardson Police (@RichardsonTX_PD) November 16, 2017
However, Dakil was not convinced. After the second examination of X-rays in March, she concluded that Sherin’s bones weren’t brittle and that her injuries had occurred after her time in India. Sherin was not in daycare at the time, and her parents had been identified as her sole caregivers, The Dallas Morning News reported.
“At that point, I had no explanation other than this child had been physically abused,” Dakil said in her testimony.
Subsequently, the doctor made a report about Sherin’s condition with Child Protective Services (CPS).
"did you wash any clothes of Sherin's the morning of October 7?"
"What was Sherin wearing last time you saw her?"
"When you woke up on 10/7, was Wesley in bed? Was Sherin in her crib? Did you tell RPD #SherinMathews was a good eater?"
"I plead my 5th" – Sini Mathews pic.twitter.com/hnqiZLxBLC
— David Goins (@dgoins) November 29, 2017
Throughout the court hearing, the Mathews repeatedly invoked their Fifth Amendment right to not incriminate themselves.
According to an arrest warrant for Wesley Mathews in October, he alleged that he’d been trying to get the 3-year-old to drink her milk in the garage at 3 a.m. on Oct. 7, and “physically assisted” her when she wouldn’t listen.
Sherin started coughing and her breathing slowed. Moments later, Wesley Mathews no longer felt a pulse on the child and believed she had died. He then admitted to removing her body from the home.
However, he initially told police that he sent her out to stand next to a tree as punishment for not drinking her milk. She was found dead on Oct. 22.
Wesley Mathews was arrested and charged with injury to a child on Oct. 23.
Sini turned herself into the police on Nov. 16 after Richardson Police said she and her husband left Sherin home alone the day before her death to have dinner, taking their biological daughter with them. She was charged with abandoning or endangering a child .
Wesley Mathews is taking the stand now. He wants to assert his fifth amendment and spousal privilege right. He refuses to be a witness against his wife. #SherinMathews pic.twitter.com/kGo6AHqzou
— Alisha Ebrahimji (@AlishaEbrahimji) November 29, 2017
The Epoch Times contributed to this report.
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