America
Sherin Mathews' foster father denied new trial
Washington, Sep 6
Wesley Mathews, an Indian-American man who was sentenced to life imprisonment over the killing of his three-year-old adopted daughter Sherin Mathews in Texas, has been denied a new trial in the case, a media report said.
Wesley was convicted in June and is currently serving life sentence. Mathews' lawyers had sought a new trial for their client and claimed that jury members may have been biased as they were shown the pictures of the victim's dead body, The American Bazaar reported.
The child's pictures, as it was discovered in a culvert near her home in Richardson, Texas, might have influenced the jury to decide against Wesley, according to his defence team, which filed a motion for a new trial last month.
But the judge decided against it on Thursday morning.
He will be eligible for parole after serving 30 years.
Sherin disappeared on October 7, 2017, and Wesley had initially told the police that he had sent her out in the wee hours of the morning as punishment for not drinking her milk.
On October 22, 2017, her body was found in the culvert.
Wesley later admitted to the police that the child choked while he was making her drink milk and died in their home. He added that he wrapped the girl's body in a blanket and placed her inside the culvert.
He and his wife, Sini Mathews, adopted the child from India in 2016. The woman was also charged with child abandonment but her case was dismissed earlier this year due to lack of evidence.
Wesley was convicted in June and is currently serving life sentence. Mathews' lawyers had sought a new trial for their client and claimed that jury members may have been biased as they were shown the pictures of the victim's dead body, The American Bazaar reported.
The child's pictures, as it was discovered in a culvert near her home in Richardson, Texas, might have influenced the jury to decide against Wesley, according to his defence team, which filed a motion for a new trial last month.
But the judge decided against it on Thursday morning.
He will be eligible for parole after serving 30 years.
Sherin disappeared on October 7, 2017, and Wesley had initially told the police that he had sent her out in the wee hours of the morning as punishment for not drinking her milk.
On October 22, 2017, her body was found in the culvert.
Wesley later admitted to the police that the child choked while he was making her drink milk and died in their home. He added that he wrapped the girl's body in a blanket and placed her inside the culvert.
He and his wife, Sini Mathews, adopted the child from India in 2016. The woman was also charged with child abandonment but her case was dismissed earlier this year due to lack of evidence.

36 seconds ago
MobiKwik fraud triggers demand for deeper probe into fintech platforms

1 minute ago
Combined value of listed firms on BSE hits 11-month high at Rs 465 lakh crore

2 minutes ago
Public sector insurers post 15 pc premium growth at Rs 6,496 crore in Aug: Report

4 minutes ago
Amoebic brain fever: Kerala govt, opposition trade charges in Assembly

5 minutes ago
TN Medical Council orders sensitisation of doctors, students on transgender health

6 minutes ago
Scientists find brain mechanism behind infant-parent bonding

7 minutes ago
Maternity breaks, workplace bias drive gender pay gap in India: Report

7 minutes ago
Type 5 diabetes: Why the malnutrition-related condition needs to be formally recognised?

9 minutes ago
Akeal Hosein to lead five uncapped players squad for Nepal T20Is

9 minutes ago
Suzie Bates eyes World Cup win as New Zealand kick off preparation in Dubai heat

14 minutes ago
CPL: Motie’s four-for powers Amazon Warriors into final

15 minutes ago
Champions League: Van Dijk heads Liverpool to dramatic late win over Atletico in opener

16 minutes ago
Asia Cup: Shaheen, Fakhar lift Pakistan to victory over UAE, join India in Super 4s