Father of Richardson girl who 'choked on milk' indicted on capital murder charge

RICHARDSON, Texas -- (KXAN) -- A Dallas County grand jury handed down two indictments against Wesley Mathews, 37, the father of Sherin Mathews, who was found dead in a culvert near her Richardson home on Oct. 22.

Mathews was indicted on a capital murder charge and a tampering with physical evidence charge. According to court records, Wesley Mathews, used a “deadly weapon” in the death of Sherin but the “exact nature and description” was not presented to the grand jury. An autopsy determined Sherin died from “homicidal violence.”

Sherin was reported missing by her family on Oct. 7 around 8 a.m. At the time, the father told authorities he forced his daughter to stand outside the house at 3 a.m. to discipline her for not eating. According to the affidavit, Mathews also said “he knew coyotes had been seen in the alley where he left his daughter.”

The day after Sherin's body was found, her adopted father told police the little girl's death was caused by choking on milk, according to an arrest affidavit. Mathews told police he had been trying to get his 3-year-old daughter to drink milk but she kept refusing. Eventually, Sherin began to drink the milk and he said he “physically assisted” the girl in drinking the milk while they were in the garage.

Mathews admitted to police he removed the body from the home after she died, continued the affidavit.

Sherin's mother, Sini Mathews, surrendered to police in mid-November and was charged with child endangerment/abandonment. Court documents indicate Sini and her husband left Sherin home alone while they went to dinner with their biological daughter the night she disappeared. The family said they left her behind because she wouldn't drink her milk, but when they came back an hour and a half later, Sherin was still in the kitchen.

Sini Mathews has not been charged with any other charges at this time but has been indicted on the child abandonment charge.

The District Attorney's Office said they're not sure if they will seek the death penalty yet on Wesley Mathews.