Judge says Wesley Mathews not required to wear shackles during murder trial

The Richardson father accused of killing his 3-year-old adopted daughter will not have to wear shackles during his trial. That was the ruling from the judge in the case.

Wesley Mathews goes on trial later this month for the murder of 3-year-old Sherin Mathews, whose body was dumped in a drainage ditch.

The judge will allow the jury to hear evidence that Wesley has never mentioned Sherin in any letter he has written while locked up at the Dallas County jail.

Dressed in a striped jumpsuit with handcuffs on Tuesday, there won't be a tangible reminder to the jury that he's locked up the next time Wesley is in court.

“There was no testimony that indicated there was a necessity for shackles,” said Dallas County Judge Amber Givens-Davis. “So the court will unshackle Mr. Mathews during the trial.”

The two-week-long search for missing 3-year old Sherin Mathews drew international attention in October 2017. Her father reported her missing to Richardson PD on October 7 claiming he left her outside as punishment for not drinking her milk. He later said she died choking on milk.

Sherin's body was found in a drainage tunnel on October 22. The medical examiner ruled that she died from "homicidal violence.”

“The court has conducted a balancing test,” Givens-Davis said.

In a major ruling Tuesday, a judge decided that prosecutors will be able to reveal that Sherin was injured six months before her death. Prosecutors say she received multiple fractures, but her parents did not seek treatment for weeks. Doctors say the story they got from the Mathews did not match the injuries.

The judge will also allow evidence that Wesley deleted all messages between him and his wife, Sini, when police seized his phone. All internet history, as well as a file named "Sherin log", was deleted off Wesley’s computer.

Sini, who was originally charged with child abandonment in the case, is not on trial. In March, D. A. John Cruezot dropped all charges saying they could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.