The girl has been in foster care shortly after Sherin Mathews went missing.
The four-year-old sister of Sherin Mathews, the Indian American girl found dead in a culvert last month, will be removed from foster care to live with extended family.
A family court judge in Dallas has ruled to move the child out of foster care, reported Dallas News. But, it is not clear which relative will have custody of the girl. So, the change won’t happen immediately, said Child Protective Services spokeswoman Marissa Gonzales.
According to media reports, all parties agreed to have the girl taken out of foster care. The girl has been in foster care shortly after Sherin Mathews went missing.
There is also no clarity about what kind of visitation the girl’s mother, Sini Mathews, would have with her. She has been able to visit her once a week after the girl was taken into foster care.
The court proceedings on Monday were delayed because of “aggravated circumstances” in the case. But, the court did not address what those circumstances were. The hearing has been reset for Nov. 29.
Attorney Mitchell Nolte, who represents Sini Mathews, said that they are pleased with Judge Shannon’s decision to continue the hearing.
“We are pleased with Judge Shannon’s decision to continue the hearing and give us more time to address the allegations against Ms. Mathews in the CPS case. We are still waiting for the CPS home study report and for the Ad Litem to make her report to the court. Then we’ll know where [her daughter] will be placed for the immediate future,” said Nolte.
Sherin’s father Wesley Mathews has been jail where he is being held on $1 million bond in Sherin’s disappearance and death.
David Kleckner, who represents Mathews only in the child custody proceedings, said that Mathews wants his wife or their family to have custody of their surviving daughter.
The 3-year-old girl from Texas went missing on October 7. Her adopted father, Wesley Mathews, had told police that he had made the girl stand in the back lane of their house at 3 a.m. as a punishment for not drinking milk. Mathews said when he went to check after 15 minutes, she was missing.
The Richardson Police Department immediately started a search operation. The Child Protective Services also took the custody of Wesley Mathews and Siri Mathews 4-year-old biological daughter. After two weeks, on October 22, the juvenile’s body was found in a culvert at Spring Valley Road and Browser Road; and the police confirmed that the body was Sherin’s.
Upon investigation, Mathews changed his previous statement given to the police and said he watched the girl die as she choked while drinking milk in their home in Texas.