Wesley Mathews sentenced to life in prison in 3-year-old daughter Sherin Mathews’ death

A Texas man was sentenced to life in prison in the death of his 3-year-old daughter, who he said went limp after choking on milk.

Wesley Mathews has testified that he was paralyzed by fear when his daughter choked, and he decided to dump her body in a culvert near their home.

Mathews, 39, testified Tuesday in the punishment phase of his Dallas trial that he panicked when he couldn’t resuscitate 3-year-old Sherin Mathews. Her body was found about two weeks later.

He has told investigators that Sherin was underweight and he at times had to force her to drink milk for nourishment.

A medical examiner has testified that it’s unlikely a child could choke to death on milk.

Wesley Mathews was charged with capital murder but pleaded guilty Monday to a lesser charge of injury to a child by omission.

The trial then began the sentencing phase, which concluded with the jury’s verdict of a life sentence Wednesday.

If he’d been found guilty of capital murder, he would have received an automatic life sentence without the possibility of parole.

Mathews reported to police in October 2017 that Sherin, his adopted daughter, was missing. The body of the 3-year was found about two weeks later in a culvert near the family’s Richardson home. An autopsy determined she died from homicidal violence.

Mathews was indicted in January in Sherin’s death. In March, prosecutors dropped a child-abandonment charge against Sherin’s mother, Sini Mathews.

The couple early last year lost their parental rights to their biological daughter. Sherin was adopted from an Indian orphanage.

Wesley Mathews initially told police Sherin disappeared after he punished her by sending her out in the night to stand by a tree near the home.

He later said he had been trying to get the girl to drink milk in the garage of their home to help her gain weight because he claimed she was malnourished, according to an arrest affidavit filed by Richardson police. Sherin choked and coughed and eventually he felt no pulse and believed the child had died. He allegedly waited hours to call the police.

Prosecutors also said the couple didn’t adequately feed Sherin, and alleged Mathews broke Sherin’s arm and leg in 2017.

This story was originally published June 26, 2019 at 11:37 AM.