By Seema Hakhu KachruHouston, Oct 29 (PTI) The body of a three-year-old Indiangirl, who disappeared from her Indian-American foster parentshome in Richardson, has been released by the Dallas Countymedical examiner's office, though it declined to say to whom.
Sherin Mathews, who went missing on October 7, was founddead in a culvert under a road about a half-mile from her homeon October 22.
Richardson community is mourning the tragic loss and wantto handle her funeral. Sherin's death has become aninternational point of discussion and has raised severalquestions on the process of adoption.
Sherin was adopted by the Indian-American couple, WesleyMathews and Sini Mathews, from an orphanage in India lastyear.
Wesley, 37, the Indian-American father of Sherin, hasbeen charged with first-degree felony injury to a child due toa conflicting statement to police.
He had previously claimed that Sherin went missing afterhe sent her outside their home at around 3 am on October 7 aspunishment for not drinking her milk.
Later, Wesley voluntarily told the police that hisdaughter choked while drinking milk and he removed her bodyfrom the house as he "believed she had died".
Police are still investigating how Sherin died and howlong her body had been in the drainage ditch.
Thousands of heartbroken community members are mourningfor the child as if she was from their own family.
The tree where Wesley initially said he had left Sherinfor not finishing milk and the culvert where her body waslater found by cadaver dogs have become memorial sites. Peoplehave been visiting these places and putting stuffed toys andflowers everyday and praying for the baby to rest in peace.
Due to wind and sleet, they have been covering andsafeguarding the memorial sites.
"We got to the memorials in time and covered the areasusing tarps at the tree and culvert," said Omair Siddiqi inone of his Facebook posts. Many people donated their blankets,sheets and tarps to keep both places dry and safe.
An online petition, created by 23-year-old Siddiqi, hadrequested authorities to release her body and allow the peopleto give her a proper burial that she deserves. The petitionwas signed by more than 5000 people till yesterday.
Some people say they signed the petition to keep Sherin'sbody in the US. It's unclear how the rumour started thatSherin's body would be sent back to her native India, butthere's no indication that's true.
Council General of India in Houston, Anupam Ray, who hasbeen monitoring the case from day one, told PTI that theConsulate has not received any such request.
"We have not been approached by anyone. All mortalremains being taken to India require a no objection from theConsulate," Ray said.
Her body will not be sent back to the country she wasadopted from unless her parents decide they want that tohappen -- regardless of their legal standing, said StevenKurtz, chief death investigator at the Dallas County medicalexaminer's office, where Sherin's body was autopsied.
"It's not something that the Consulate does," Kurtz said.
"It's all at the request of next of kin."The petition says Sherin's body should not be released toher adoptive parents due to the circumstances surrounding herdeath.
In a case like this, Sherin's mother would be the one whowould make the arrangement for her burial because her fatheris in jail and unable to do so. The only way someone elsewould get the rights to make arrangements for her body is ifher mother appoints someone else to do so, Kurtz said.
Siddiqui said the petition is about asking Sherin'sfamily to let the community participate in her funeral.
A neighbour said she feels as though she lost one of herown children, even though she didn't know Sherin or herfamily. "I signed the petition to let the family know that ifthey don't want her body, it's perfectly fine because we thecommunity can handle it and give her the proper and respectfulburial she deserves."Earlier, another online petition by community leaderFather Thomas Ambalaveli demanded that the body of Sherinshould not be given to her parents.
"Please allow us to conduct the memorial and burial ofour (community baby)," said Father Thomas. PTI SHK AJRZH.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.
