Found Deceased TX - Sherin Mathews, 3, Richardson, 7 Oct 2017 #1

[keeleydoll]

Previous involvement of CPS certainly could have been in regard to whatever incident caused her arm to be in a sling, ERs often call about broken bones, etc. in little ones, especially if the story doesn't seem to add up.


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[Inthedetails]

Thank you for your insight.

I try to avoid looking at cases from a cultural perspective, because I feel in cases before, people gt too hung up perceived notions about a person's culture. And often, those perceptions are not correct in the cases. But when the church bailed him out AFTER it was released that he left her for punishment and all else that we know...I wondered about how the church viewed men and violence. IMO, I doubt the wife will say much of what she knows. And I think she knows everything. Clearly, her community values him more than the child. I can't imagine the wife will be supported by anyone if she talks. And I don't think they would bail her out if she were arrested.

I am VERY grateful for the people who are chiming in on this case about the culture of the family. It is important not to make guesses about another culture, but to learn and listen to people who actually are in the culture. So, thank you, new posters, who have joined WS and are helping us all learn.

Regarding the church and the bail, I do have some experience with that. It's not that the church necessarily is siding with the father and his actions, but that as Christians they do not abandon anyone. There is a call to be a friend to the friendless, and I think the bail money has more to do with that attitude than in condoning the father's actions.

jmopinion

 

[DakotaMayi]

Do we know if Sherin was in daycare or anything? I was wondering... my sister works in daycare with children around Sherin's age. If they saw anything or are told anything from the child that seems untoward, they would also call cps. Some of the things she has been told by children about their parents keep you awake at night

 

[Inthedetails]

Do we know if Sherin was in daycare or anything? I was wondering... my sister works in daycare with children around Sherin's age. If they saw anything or are told anything from the child that seems untoward, they would also call cps. Some of the things she has been told by children about their parents keep you awake at night

Yes, I'd like to know if Sherin went to daycare or had a babysitter at home - and was she seen by caregivers on Friday?

As someone mentioned above, the fact that three cars were taken from the home might indicate another family member lived there and helped with childcare. That is pure speculation as there has been no mention of another adult in the home. I'm just wondering, thinking aloud, jmo.

Opinion only.

 

[blue22]

I am VERY grateful for the people who are chiming in on this case about the culture of the family. It is important not to make guesses about another culture, but to learn and listen to people who actually are in the culture. So, thank you, new posters, who have joined WS and are helping us all learn.

Regarding the church and the bail, I do have some experience with that. It's not that the church necessarily is siding with the father and his actions, but that as Christians they do not abandon anyone. There is a call to be a friend to the friendless, and I think the bail money has more to do with that attitude than in condoning the father's actions.

jmopinion

I think there is a pretty large misconception (I mean in general, not you specifically) that support, counsel, forgiveness, etc...means stepping in and not allowing a person to be held accountable. And not protecting others from their actions. Because, by bailing him out, they did condone the actions he admitted to, and protected him from jail...rather than children he could come in contact with. When I was in my early twenties I was a youth intern at our Church of Christ. (It was VERY traditional, as most people in the south who've attended know!) A father in the church was put in jail for suspicion of molesting one of his daughters. Our pastor and some elders were there to counsel and support. They prayed with him, counseled with him, etc...all the stuff they do. But they decided, if he was molesting his child, him being in jail was the safest place for the community. They came to the conclusion that they should not protect him, but the children and people who could be harmed if he were out. IMO, most churches would not bail out someone who in their own admission...left his special needs toddler in the dark with wild animals and did not look for her . JMO.

ETA: I should add, that they encouraged him to be truthful and accept the consequences should there be any. That is how a church should behave, IMO. I have no way to know this, but I seriously doubt this church is telling him to tell the truth, since they've stop talking and the church is STILL supporting them.

 

[YouWho]

Im just jumping to the end to add a few comments, my apologies if this is redundant:

1) Mathews, Peters, Lucas - these are all common Indian surnames. The comedian Russell Peters comes to mind. (They are founded in the small Indo-Christen communities). So the type of Indian in this case, is definitely from India. (When I went to law school in the US, I remember a lot of different demographic forms clumped most Asians together.. in Canada, they tend to use SouthEast Asian for the Indian subcontinent and surrounded areas (Sri Lanka, Indonesia, etc).

2) I am an educated East Indian Woman (Doctorate, Law Degree, CPA), my husband is a truck driver. Imagine those dynamics.. I was born and raised in Canada, my husband in Punjab, India. I do most of the housework - including cooking, cleaning and laundry. (My husband will help if its dire, but really when is there ever a laundry emergency??) However to this credit, he is great with our daughter. My point in this is, despite education and background - we follow a very traditional indian household.. which leads me to 2 thoughts: Either mom did it and dad is covering (Alpha Male, protection) or yes, mom is a cowed woman following her husbands order. (I have often said in times of turmoil and strife, that my husband is the product of a patriarchal society, and I am its victim. (Contrary, we did not have an arranged marriage, but it is very hard to change someones perceptions and attitudes, although we personally have come a long way, a lot of that is credited to the birth of our daughter).

3. Adoptions in India, of special needs children is rare.. Adoptions of special needs female is almost unheard of. So it pulls on my heart strings, that they adopted the most shunned of Indian society, only to let her down. Adopting in India is not a very complex function, usually adoptions are done with families, when relatives have passed or unable to conceive on their own. I would wager that they adopted after coming to the US - in which case they would have undergone rigid screen. And even then WOW can you ever really screen a person..

The last thing I want to say:

PLEASE MOM, TALK. JUST SAY SOMETHING.

Rice: Wonderful insight, thank you. Do you think the parents could have had some type of -maybe subconscious- lingering discrimination against the girl because of her low status in India?

Also, I wanted to remind us that the parents felt they'd finally been blessed with a (biological) child of their own, and that's when they decided that if God were so good to them, that they could re-pay him by adopting a child in need.

 

[Inthedetails]

I think there is a pretty large misconception (I mean in general, not you specifically) that support, counsel, forgiveness, etc...means stepping in and not allowing a person to be held accountable. And not protecting others from their actions. Because, by bailing him out, they did condone the actions he admitted to, and protected him from jail...rather than children he could come in contact with. When I was in my early twenties I was a youth intern at our Church of Christ. (It was VERY traditional, as most people in the south who've attended know!) A father in the church was put in jail for suspicion of molesting one of his daughters. Our pastor and some elders were there to counsel and support. They prayed with him, counseled with him, etc...all the stuff they do. But they decided, if he was molesting his child, him being in jail was the safest place for the community. They came to the conclusion that they should not protect him, but the children and people who could be harmed if he were out. IMO, most churches would not bail out someone who in their own admission...left his special needs toddler in the dark with wild animals and did not look for her . JMO.

I hope I did not suggest that the church condoned his actions. I tried very carefully not to do that.

jmo

 

[ATX2017]

The parents and Sherin are from Kerala.

Also, RPD investigators are actively working with several outside law enforcement agencies and specialized groups. Some of those partners include: The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Search One - Rescue Team, F.B.I., U.S. Marshals, The Texas Department of Public Safety and various local police departments.

 

[blue22]

Rice: Wonderful insight, thank you. Do you think the parents could have had some type of -maybe subconscious- lingering discrimination against the girl because of her low status in India?

Also, I wanted to remind us that the parents felt they'd finally been blessed with a (biological) child of their own, and that's when they decided that if God were so good to them, that they could re-pay him by adopting a child in need.

I do not mean this in a condescending or snarky way...but why should that matter?

 

[blue22]

I hope I did not suggest that the church condoned his actions. I tried very carefully not to do that.

jmo

No, you did not.

It is only my personal belief that their actions show they are condoning what he has done. I wasn't intending to imply you were saying this. Sorry if I was not clear about that.

 

[meanmaryjean]

The parents and Sherin are from Kerala.

Also, RPD investigators are actively working with several outside law enforcement agencies and specialized groups. Some of those partners include: The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Search One - Rescue Team, F.B.I., U.S. Marshals, The Texas Department of Public Safety and various local police departments.

Is it possible that Sherin is HIS biological child by a mother in Kerala? Thus the (unusual per a PP) adoption?

 

[Margo/Mom]

Thank you so much! I signed up literally just now precisely because of this case, definitely quite close to home. I'm not as up-to-date with the details as some of you but something strikes me as a bit strange. Adoptions in the Indian community are quite uncommon to begin with, more so when you already have a child (assuming the 4-yr old girl they have is a biological child but I could be wrong). Of course, I could be way off the mark and they may have had only good intentions when adopting a little girl with developmental difficulties

Clearly lots of holes in what we know about this family. However, I do know a bit about adoption and international adoption. The older child was biological, I recall reading. There are many reasons that families adopt--infertility, desire to do something good for a child in need, etc. IF this family was living in the US when they decided to adopt, an international adoption would be attractive for on many counts. Adopting from their country of origin would connect them to a child who looked like them, which is important to many people. Also, international adoption is frequently an easier path than a domestic adoption, and the availability of infants and toddlers is generally greater. And then, older children in the US come into the "system" due to things like abuse and neglect, which can carry some heavy behavioral scars--which many do not feel equipped to handle.

I have known a number of people who adopted internationally, and it's always a crap shoot regarding what information comes with the child. Sometimes ages are off (a 2 year old may actually be 4 but very small). Sometimes children are presented as having been raised in an orphanage from birth when actually they were abandoned there because of some emergent health or behavioral issue. Developmental delays are more or less to be expected in institutionalized children, but where they are solely the result of the lack of human nurturance or possibly nutrition, they tend to respond well to their new family doting on them, feeding them and providing regular medical care. But there is also the likelihood of some other known or unknown condition complicating their growth and development.

Toddlers, as we all know, can be infuriatingly frustrating under the best of conditions. A toddler who lacks verbal skills, or has other stubborn issues (particularly those involving appropriate elimination of bodily fluids) can be even more so.

All of this opens the door to two arenas of pure speculation on my part. One, of course we have already touched on, which is that dad responded to her out of rage and frustration and managed to put an end to her life, spending the next 5+ hours covering up and inventing a cover story. The other is that this kid did not fit the couple's "image of child," and presenting with overwhelming difficulties, they sought to "rehome" her. Brings to mind an Arkansas case several years ago. A prominent legislator, with oversight of Children's Services, decided that he and his wife wanted to adopt a particular child who had somehow become known to them--and the child's sister. He had the clout to bully through the usual red tape and managed to pull off the adoption. Then he discovered that children who have been sexually abused can be particularly trying. He brought in a faith healer, locked them in separate rooms for awhile and ultimately "rehomed" (or sold) them to a family he knew. The kids new "dad" was also a pedophile, which is how this whole thing came to light. But apparently it is not only fairly easy to pass a kid to someone of your choice, but happens with alarming frequency. And adopted kids happen to be at a high risk.

So--both areas of speculation pretty much suck, but the second one at least offers some hope that she's still alive somewhere.

 

[Margo/Mom]

The fact all 3 cars were towed gives us a clue.

In order to tow those vehicles, Texas LE need either consent or a search warrant. (And, I doubt they consented)

If a SW was obtained; that would mean they have found PROBABLE CAUSE to believe there is possible evidence relating to the murder in or on the vehicle(s). REASONABLE SUSPICION will not allow a SW to be obtained.

I'll list the definitions of these two concepts; but sometimes the legal jargon with the way they are defined just adds to more confusion.

PROBABLE CAUSE:
sufficient reason based upon known facts to believe a crime has been committed or that certain property is connected with a crime. (http://dictionary.law.com/Default.aspx?selected=1618)

REASONABLE SUSPICION:
an objectively justifiable suspicion that is based on specific facts or circumstances and that justifies stopping and sometimes searching (as by frisking) a p
(http://dictionary.findlaw.com/definition/reasonable-suspicion.html)

I like to think of PROBABLE cause as FACTS and/or EVIDENCE of a crime.

This separates REASONABLE suspicion as "circumstances" or "conditions" that lead a reasonable person to believe a crime has been committed.

And, assuming they obtained a SW; that means EVIDENCE of a/the crime was found on/in(plain view) or leading to the vehicles.

PC visual charts

http://slideplayer.com/8108284/25/images/5/Criminal+Justice+Proof+Scale.jpg

https://image.slidesharecdn.com/bur...01/95/burden-of-proof-3-638.jpg?cb=1406739841

https://m.imgur.com/isYm6mS?r

If one or more of the cars was spotted on some surveillance film somewhere between 3-8 AM would that contribute to probable cause? Along with the lack of scent/blood or any other evidence of the kid at that tree?

 

[Margo/Mom]

A major motive in MOST homicide investigations is money.

Even when it's not about the money, IT IS about the money.

Don't be surprised is a financial motive ends up factoring in somewhere.

Well, that and anger/rage. Particularly within families.

 

[SCHMAE]

Thank you for the insight into Indian culture. I have a question about that. Had this happened in India, would the actions of the father seem as concerning? Assuming his story is true ( i know, i know, just for argument's sake) would it be unheard of to punish a child in that way and would it be unheard of to wait for the child to return? I remember a news story some years back that got a lot of attention. A Scandanavian couple went to lunch and their child was asleep in the stroller so they just left the child napping on the front porch of the restaurant and went on inside to eat. They were arrested I believe and charged with abandonment and/ or endangering but said it was a common practice where they come from to leave babies sleeping outside to not bother the diners. What is crazy talk in one culture may be common place in another.
I don't believe dad's story for a minute. But I am wondering if he thought it would fly here if it's common there and would not be questioned. TIA

 

[Reba]

Thank you for the insight into Indian culture. I have a question about that. Had this happened in India, would the actions of the father seem as concerning? Assuming his story is true ( i know, i know, just for argument's sake) would it be unheard of to punish a child in that way and would it be unheard of to wait for the child to return? I remember a news story some years back that got a lot of attention. A Scandanavian couple went to lunch and their child was asleep in the stroller so they just left the child napping on the front porch of the restaurant and went on inside to eat. They were arrested I believe and charged with abandonment and/ or endangering but said it was a common practice where they come from to leave babies sleeping outside to not bother the diners. What is crazy talk in one culture may be common place in another.
I don't believe dad's story for a minute. But I am wondering if he thought it would fly here if it's common there and would not be questioned. TIA

Thank you, I had the same thought. Also, we all know that it is uncommon for a coyote to drag a child off here in the U.S., but are there more instances of a wild animal dragging off children in India? Maybe that story made sense in his mind?


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[DakotaMayi]

Thank you, I had the same thought. Also, we all know that it is uncommon for a coyote to drag a child off here in the U.S., but are there more instances of a wild animal dragging off children in India? Maybe that story made sense in his mind?


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Do we know how long Mom and Dad have resided here? Or if they always have?

 

[Margo/Mom]

I agree. However, they need cause for a warrant. Would a hinky story be enough? (I don't ask that condescendingly.) I wonder if they gathered information in the last days, from CPS, neighbors, cameras, etc...that gave them enough cause to search the home. The FBI and other agencies have been assisting and only just now they have this warrant. Something must have been discovered beyond the ridiculous story.

I hope for an arrest soon. I hope they can locate her.

ETA: I should say, I hope they arrest him again for harsher charges. The mother also, if she knew and did nothing.

Interesting, one of the posted articles said that they searched a neighbor's house--including garage, shed, freezer. Wouldn't have needed a warrant if LE was given permission to search. But, one wonders what might have led them there.

 

[Gigglingtoes]

The mother had trouble conceiving. When they had their child, they decided to adopt another to give her a life she wouldn’t have in India. They said they had the resources to do so. She’s been with the family 1.5 years and was severely under weight when they adopted her. I don’t know if they knew of her disabilities at the time. Based on the dad’s story, it sounds like he was frustrated with her. With the previous involvement of CPS, it’s possible he was abusive with her in general. Who made the CPS reports? What was the abuse? The other child is in protective custody. Was she in danger? Did they want to interview her? Was it to prevent the family from leaving the country? We’re hearing from neighbors and church members but not a peep from mom, dad or extended family.

''

I am thinking they removed the child of course to prevent anything further from happening since they "dont know" who to blame yet but ALSO because she could have information, 4 is old enough to talk. I think that they also may be thinking that by removing the biological child from the home, the parents may be more cooperative as their daughter is not with them and they want her back, etc..

 

[DakotaMayi]

''

I am thinking they removed the child of course to prevent anything further from happening since they "dont know" who to blame yet but ALSO because she could have information, 4 is old enough to talk. I think that they also may be thinking that by removing the biological child from the home, the parents may be more cooperative as their daughter is not with them and they want her back, etc..

I agree with all of this. It would be easier to talk to the 4 year old without parents coaching her on what to say and honestly, she's bait. If Mom is innocent, she needs to talk to get her girl back.