Body of 3-yr-old Sherin released
HOUSTON: The body of three-yearold Indian born Sherin Mathews, who disappeared from her Indian-American adoptive parents’ home in Richardson, has been released by the Dallas County medical examiner’s office, though it declined to say to whom.
Sherin, who went missing on October 7 from her suburban Dallas home, was found dead in a culvert on October 22.
The missing child has become an international point of discussion and has raised several questions on the process of adoption.
Sherin was adopted last year by the Indian-American couple, Wesley Mathews and Sini Mathews.
Wesley was rearrested after he changed his story about Sherin’s disappearance from their home. He had earlier claimed that she went missing after he sent her outside their home at around 3am as punishment for not drinking her milk.
On Monday, Wesley voluntarily told police that Sherin choked on milk and died in the family’s garage before he removed her body from the home.
Police are still investigating how Sherin died and how long her body had been in the drainage ditch located nearly a kilometre away from her home.
ONLINE PETITIONS
Thousands of people took to Facebook to post unfounded theories about Sherin’s death or videos of themselves crying over “Princess Sherin”. They have dubbed her “daughter of the world” and “our child.” They follow developments posted on Sherin-focused Facebook pages and Twitter hashtags.
An online petition, created by 23-year-old Richardson resident Omair Siddiqi, who said he has no connection to the Mathews family, asks for authorities to release her body and allow a group to give her an interfaith burial. The petition received more than 5,000 signatures as of Saturday.
Some people say they signed it to keep Sherin’s body in the US. It’s unclear how the rumour started that Sherin’s body would be sent back to her native India but there’s no indication that’s true.
Consulate General of India, Houston, Anupam Ray, who has been monitoring this case from day one, said that the “consulate has not received any such request. We have not been approached by anyone. All mortal remains being taken to India require a no objection from the consulate”.
“Her body will not be sent back to the country she was adopted from unless her parents decide they want that to happen, regardless of their legal standing,” said Steven Kurtz, chief death investigator at the Dallas County medical examiner’s office, where Sherin’s body was autopsied.