The body of a small child that police believe to be is Sherin Matthews, a three-year-old girl who went missing early on October 7, has been found
The body of a small child was found not far from the home of a 3-year-old girl who has been missing since earlier this month, police in a Dallas, Texas suburb say.
Richardson police say the child’s body was discovered in a culvert less than one mile from their home as authorities using dogs searched for Sherin Mathews on Sunday morning, Dallas News reports.
Her father, Wesley Mathews, has told authorities he ordered the child to stand next to a tree behind the fence at their home around 3am on October 7 as punishment for not drinking her milk and she went missing.
Mathews told the responding officer ‘he knew coyotes had been seen in the alley where he left his daughter’.
When he returned to check on her 15 minutes later, he could not find her.
The girl’s father, Wesley, had sent her outside to stand next to a tree behind the fence at their home around 3am on October 7 as punishment for not drinking her milk. He returned 15 minutes later and did not find her. Police were not notified that she was missing for five hours
Sherin has developmental issues and limited verbal communication skills, police previously said. The body found on Sunday morning has not been identified but police said they have no reason not to believe that it is Sherin
Police had been searching for Sherin Mathews for two weeks. Dogs had been used in the search and police went door-to-door looking for any information on her whereabouts
He told police that he went to do laundry while waiting for dawn or for the girl to return of her own volition. The girl’s mother, Sini, was reportedly asleep during this time.
Sergeant Kevin Perlich told WFAA that police were not called to the scene where she was last seen until after five hours.
Welsey Mathews is charged with child endangerment.
Wesley and Sini Mathews adopted Sherin from an Indian orphanage, Dallas News reports.
According to police, Sherin has developmental issues and limited verbal communication skills.
Police say the body hasn’t been positively identified but that they have no reason to believe it’s a different child.
No details have been released on how the child died.
Dogs had been used in the search of the girl and police went door-to-door looking for any information on her whereabouts.
They also confiscated two SUV’s and a minivan for ‘any potential evidence.’
Pictured is an aerial view of the Mathews home in Richardson, Texas