The authorities in Texas were shocked to find the body of a child while looking for the missing 3-year-old girl who has been missing for more than two weeks

The girl, Sherin Mathews of Richardson, Texas, was reported missing on October 7. She was last seen in the backyard of her home early in the morning by her adoptive father, Wesley Mathews.

On Sunday morning, around 11 a.m. the body was found according to Sgt. Kevin Perlich, who is spokesman for the police department. So far, no one has been arrested in connection with the discovery of the body.

Even though the body hasn’t been identified, authorities believe that it could be the missing girl and that her parents have been notified by the discovery. The cause of death is still unknown.

Many law enforcement agencies have taken part in the ongoing search, which includes the FBI, US Marshals and also the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Those active in the investigation combed Sherin’s neighborhood and surrounded the area with K-9 teams and helicopters. Furthermore, they executed a search warrant at the Mathews’ home on October 10.

Sherin’s adoptive father told police that he punished the girl and left her outside around 3 a.m. on October 7 “because she wouldn’t drink her milk,” and told her to stand by a tree that was located approximately 100 feet away from the house, across an alleyway. He further stated that he knew coyotes had been seen in the alley where he told her to stay, the affidavit said.

When he went to take the girl back, at around 3:15 a.m., she was gone. Police reported that Mathews did not contact the police for 5 hours after realizing the child was missing. He was arrested and charged with abandoning or endangering a child, “as a result of his decision to place her outside a place of safety.” He is out on bond, according to the authorities.

Source: cnn.com