Warrant: Dad Has New Claim on How Missing 3-Year-Old Died

Sherin Mathews 'was coughing and her breathing slowed' after he 'assisted' her in drinking milk
By Michael Harthorne,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 24, 2017 12:30 PM CDT
Warrant: Dad Now Says Missing Girl Died Choking on Milk
Wesley Mathews   (Richardson Police Department via AP)

A Texas father is facing life in prison after police say he changed his story regarding his missing 3-year-old daughter, admitting she died while he "physically assisted" her in drinking milk, the Washington Post reports. Wesley Mathews was arrested Monday night after "voluntarily" providing a new statement to the Richardson Police Department. The arrest warrant was posted online Tuesday. Per the Houston Chronicle, the warrant states Mathews was trying to get his adopted daughter Sherin, who has developmental issues, to drink milk in their garage at 3am Oct. 7, but she was refusing. That's when he "assisted" her, according to the warrant. "She was coughing and her breathing slowed," the warrant states. "Eventually, Wesley Mathews no longer felt a pulse on the child and believed she had died."

Mathews told police he took Sherin's body out of the house and then waited five hours before calling 911 to report her missing, the warrant states. Police believe they "most likely" found Sherin's body in a culvert near her home on Sunday. Police say Mathews originally claimed back on Oct. 7 that he'd told Sherin to stand outside alone as punishment for refusing to drink her milk. He said he thought a coyote may have snatched her. Police say Mathews said he did laundry while waiting for her to come home before finally reporting her missing. He was charged with neglect and released on bond. He's now been charged with injury to a child, a felony punishable by up to life in prison. NBC DFW reports Mathews' 4-year-old biological daughter has been placed in protective custody and will remain there until at least a hearing scheduled for next month. (More child death stories.)

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