10yo Boy's Body Found In The Tub, Wrapped In Cloth Up To His Neck

[Dakota]

Frisco, Texas, police say a woman has been arrested and charged with killing her 10-year-old son.

Officers found the boy's body in the tub at his home, wrapped in cloth up to his neck. Police said there were also several plastic bags found around the boy, but did not elaborate.

In a news conference Thursday, Sgt. Brad Merritt, with the Frisco Police Department, said the boy's father, Sumeed Dhawan, called police at about 6:30 p.m. Wednesday and said he was concerned about the welfare of his wife and child.

Sumeed told police he had just returned home after traveling for three weeks and that he was concerned over the time it took his wife to return home and because he had also received an email from his son's school stating he had not been in attendace the last several days.

Sumeed told police that his wife had apparently left the home a couple of hours before he called them and he was growing more and more concerned about their welfare.

Officers arrived at the home and, as they talked with Sumeed, his wife returned home. Police asked Pallavi Dhawan about the location of Arnav and she said she wished to speak with her husband privately — which the officers allowed.

As Pallavi and Sumeed talked, the man grew noticeably upset, police said. He then called the officers over and directed them toward a locked bathroom door.

"Officers asked Mrs. Dhawan if the child was in the room, and she nodded her head `yes.' Officers asked her if she killed the child, and Mrs. Dhawan nodded her head `yes,"' said police Sgt. Brad Merritt at an afternoon news conference.

Police said that Pallavi was arrested Wednesday and is said to be cooperating in the investigation. On Thursday, the boy's mother was charged with 1st degree murder, police said.
[...]

Despite statements from the police, Dhawan denied admitting to killing the child, said her attorney, David Finn of Dallas.

"We categorically deny that she indicated in any way or form that she was responsible for his death," he said.

"Any statement that my client nodded of affirmed that she was responsible for the child's death, not so fast," Finn said.

Arnav had been "the center of their universe," Finn said of the family. "He was a happy, fun-loving boy."

Pallavi and Sumeet Dhawan are naturalized U.S. citizens, Finn said. Family members described the couple's only child and his mother as being "inseparable," he said.

Finn said there are "a plethora of unanswered questions." For example, he said there were no signs of physical trauma or water in the boy's lungs.

The Collin County medical examiner performed an autopsy on the boy Thursday, though the findings have not yet been released.

http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Frisco-Woman-Charged-in-10-Year-Old-Sons-Murder-242832901.html

The mother of a 10-year-old boy found dead in a bathtub inside the family's Frisco home was released on bond, police revealed Friday morning.

Frisco police said 38-year-old Pallavi Dhawan surrendered her passport and visa under terms of the $50,000 bond. Mrs. Dhawan was charged with first degree murder in the death of Arnav Dhawan, who didn't attend school several days before his body was found inside a locked room at the Frisco residence.

Authorities also revealed initial autopsy results were inconclusive. Frisco police said they're awaiting toxicology results to determine the child's cause of death.

http://www.khou.com/news/texas-news?fId=242926641&fPath=/news/local/&fDomain=10247

 

[disgusted4sho]

 

[disgusted4sho]

why??

 

[Benighted]

Very bizarre. I wonder what the autopsy revealed?

 

[Robynne]

I really hope it was an accident, and she only feels responsible. I hope he didn't suffer.

 

[BlueLover]

Poor baby unfortunately we are seeing a rise in that culture of mother being depressed or unhappy and instead of taking themselves out they take out their only tie to the marriage the only true victim the child. RIP lil guy.....out:

 

[Dakota]

Sumeet Dhawan told police that his wife was coping with mental health problems and they were having marital issues, according to a search warrant affidavit released today.
[...]

The father told police that his wife left the house that afternoon to get their son, Arnav, from an after-school tutoring center. He called police when she failed to return after a long time.

http://crimeblog.dallasnews.com/201...killing-son-didnt-confess-attorney-says.html/

 

[Dakota]

The attorney for the Frisco woman accused of killing her son said Friday that the boy had medical problems. He will seek an outside opinion on the cause of the child’s death.

Arnav Dhawan, 10, was found dead Wednesday in an empty bathtub in the family’s home wrapped in a cloth and surrounded by plastic bags.

There was no evidence of fluid in his lungs to indicate drowning, nor was there any trauma to the body, said David Finn, who is representing the child’s mother, Pallavi Dhawan.
[...]

Finn characterized his client as a good mother who is grieving the loss of her only child while trying to coordinate funeral services and cremation for the boy.

“She doted on him,” Finn said. “The husband is standing by his wife. He does not believe she harmed Arnav.”

He said the child was born in Wisconsin with a brain cyst and microcephaly, a condition characterized by a head circumference that is smaller than normal.

He said Arnav was a special-needs child who had other medical conditions. He did not elaborate.

While Finn did not say what medical conditions might have caused the child’s death, “that is certainly something I’m going to explore,” he said.

The Collin County medical examiner’s office has not ruled on the cause of the death, pending the results of a toxicology report.

Finn said said he would seek another opinion from Dr. Nizam Peerwani, Tarrant County chief medical examiner.

Based on information from police, Finn said, he believes the boy died two days before he was found by police.

When asked why the mother didn’t contact authorities, he had no answers.

“That’s the million-dollar question,” said Finn, who first talked to his client on Thursday through a glass window at the Frisco City Jail.

He said he didn’t ask his client how the child had died. “It was not the time or place for me to have a heart-to-heart conversation,” he said. “I’ve not gone there yet.”

He said his client was in a state of shock after the boy’s death and speculated that she may have been waiting for her husband to return home from his three-week business trip.

“They’re from India. It’s an arranged marriage. They’re both Hindu,” Finn said. “Culturally, it’s the husband who’s supposed to run the family.”
[...]

He said his client “had a lot on her plate,” caring for a special-needs child by herself while her husband was away from home for long periods.

Finn said she had quit her job as a computer programmer to devote herself to her son and once jumped into the water to save him from drowning when he fell from a boat.

“Trying to reconcile that occurrence with an accusation of murder is difficult,” Finn said.

http://www.dallasnews.com/news/dome...-dead-had-medical-condition-attorney-says.ece

 

[Krysti]

He said his client was in a state of shock after the boy’s death and speculated that she may have been waiting for her husband to return home from his three-week business trip.
“They’re from India. It’s an arranged marriage. They’re both Hindu,” Finn said. “Culturally, it’s the husband who’s supposed to run the family.”

This is a real possibility. If his death was an unexpected accident or tragedy, she may not have felt comfortable making a decision and was waiting on her husband to do so. Not the brightest idea, but still a possibility.

 

[China]

This is a real possibility. If his death was an unexpected accident or tragedy, she may not have felt comfortable making a decision and was waiting on her husband to do so. Not the brightest idea, but still a possibility.

I say it is a possibility depending on their culture, some women don't make any decisions without their hubby. I wonder just how bad the cyst was. It certainly doesn't fit the mold of most of our stories on here, there were no physical signs of past abuse and no signs of trauma on the body, unless I missed that part.

 

[Krysti]

It certainly doesn't fit the mold of most of our stories on here, there were no physical signs of past abuse and no signs of trauma on the body, unless I missed that part

There was no evidence of fluid in his lungs to indicate drowning, nor was there any trauma to the body, said David Finn, who is representing the child’s mother, Pallavi Dhawan.

Nope, no trauma. I'm curious what the toxicology report will say, and the autopsy. A lot of things could have happened to make this just a tragic death.

 

[irish-fire]

The father told police that his wife left the house that afternoon to get their son, Arnav, from an after-school tutoring center. He called police when she failed to return after a long time.

Who does that? And wouldn't the police tell them he had to wait at least hours before they would take action? Something doesn't seem right. And I can't imagine their culture calls for a dead child to be surrounded by garbage bags; the sheet, maybe. I hope we get some answers along the way.

 

[Rockin Ma]

Blah, didn't get it all the first time. See below

 

[mybum62]

Kids with microcephaly usually have seizure disorders also...I wonder if he may have had a grand mal seizure

 

[Dakota]

Who does that? And wouldn't the police tell them he had to wait at least hours before they would take action?

There is no specific amount of time you have to wait to report anyone missing. It all depends on the circumstances. The writing is very vague but I can see it happening. If a usually punctual wife went to pick up the kid (supposedly a quick trip) and hadn't returned in a while, probably wasn't answering calls to her cell, he would call the "tutoring place" to see when they left... which would lead to finding out kid was never there... logical to call police and explain it - along with the email about the kid missing school. This Dad already KNEW something was up but probably never suspected "dead kid".

 

[Rockin Ma]

"in all deaths that the authors have seen in which plastic bags have been placed over the head, there have been no specific autopsy findings. Petechiae of the face, sclaere and conjuctivae were virtually always absent... If a bag was removed prior to notification of authorities, a medical examiner cannot determine the cause of death by autopsy"

http://books.google.com/books?id=XyG3802xSdwC&pg=PA231&lpg=PA231&dq=suffocation bag on head autopsy&source=bl&ots=cV5JaqqGsf&sig=AQe_zFQWUs2_qkz0HvGveOUUJqE&hl=en&sa=X&ei=A7HtUuKJGabfsASJkgE&ved=0CEAQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=suffocation bag on head autopsy&f=false

Sorry, I couldn't copy and paste. Got to type it all out.

 

[Dakota]

A Frisco man mourning his son's death and fighting murder charges against his wife went to the Frisco Police Department for what he says police already have in their possession: alleged proof that Pallavi Dhawan did not kill their 10-year-old son, Arnav.
[...]

Sumeet Dhawan, who is the boy's father and Pallavi's husband, says he told police there is no way his wife could have killed their child. Friday, Sumeet told FOX4 that Arnav suffered from some medical conditions when he was born, including a microcephaly and a brain cyst.

On Monday, Sumeet went with his wife's attorney, former judge David Finn, to police to try to retrieve Arnav's medical records. Sumeet said that the police haven't given those records to him, however.

Finn said that he and Sumeet went to police for the records because of limited time, adding that the records could take up to a month to receive from the doctor's office.

"They are in the car in a suitcase," said Sumeet. "She had everything in the car. It's not just one record; it's hundreds and hundreds of pages of records which talk about his microcephaly, which talk about his brain cyst, which talk about his other things I elaborated before, like his chest pain and all that stuff. So all those records are there…and that will hopefully state what really happened to him."

Frisco Police are awaiting toxicology results before presenting the case to a grand jury.

"It might have been prudent for the police to review these records before they held a press conference and labeled his wife, Arnav's mother, a murderer," said Finn.

Former Dallas County district attorney Toby Shook, who is not involved with the case, says that it's unusual when a cause of death can't be determined through an autopsy, and that it's rare.

"If they can't determine the cause of death, then you're gonna have a problem proving that this is really a murder case," said Shook.

Frisco Police say Pallavi confessed -- when asked by officers if she killed the boy, they say she nodded her head, indicating yes.

Shook says he has experienced cultural miscommunication with Indian clients.

"I myself have had problems communicating with own clients that were from India, simply when talking to them," said Shook. "The shaking of the head, no, or nodding of the head, yes, means the opposite of what it means here in America."

Arnav was cremated Saturday.

"I was able to complete his last rites, but I'm still awaiting for his ashes," said Sumeet. "Once I get those ashes, I have to dispose of them in running water. So I'm waiting for that and then…I'm trying to handle this side as well."

Sumeet had just returned home from a business trip when he learned of Arnav's death.

Police say when Arnav was found in the bathtub, he was draped in cloth with bags around him.

Sumeet maintains that the bags were full of ice to preserve Arnav's body so that he could see his son.

http://www.myfoxdfw.com/story/24623...cords-may-prove-wifes-innocence-in-sons-death

Sumeet Dhawan told us it is part of Indian culture to put a child's body on ice until the father can say goodbye. He was away from home when Arnav died.

"[Pallavi] knew he was no more," Dhawan said. "I think she realized she should have called the cops. And after a while, she realized she could not handle the situation. So maybe I should come handle it."

Sumeet Dhawan and his attorney went to Frisco police on Monday, demanding the return of medical records that were left in the family's car. The father said the records document ten years of his son's neurological problems, including seizures and a cyst on the brain.

Dhawan also wants his car back for a very personal reason.

"[Arnav] loved the car. I remember every time I used to sit in that car he would say, 'Daddy, please increase the volume.' That's the reason I want that car," Dhawan said through tears.

http://www.wfaa.com/news/crime/Frisco-dad-speaks-out-about-sons-death-243405071.html

 

[Krystal]

She may very well not have killed their son but I can understand why the police have her in custody while they investigate. A child was found dead in a tub with only Mom there, it's a natural assumption and if she has family outside of the U.S. keeping her in jail is going to make sure she doesn't flee the country.

Just sayin', I can see where the police are coming from.

 

[Azryhael]

She may very well not have killed their son but I can understand why the police have her in custody while they investigate. A child was found dead in a tub with only Mom there, it's a natural assumption and if she has family outside of the U.S. keeping her in jail is going to make sure she doesn't flee the country.

Just sayin', I can see where the police are coming from.

Just have her surrender her passport. Let her grieve with her husband.

I believe the Dahwans.

If I'm wrong, though, and she did help little Arnav to shuffle off this mortal coil, I'm betting it was an overdose.

 

[Dakota]

The husband of a Frisco woman accused of murdering their 10-year-old son has publicly declared her innocence, saying religious customs are the reason she acted the way she did.

Sumeet Dhawan said his wife, a former NASA computer programmer, put Arnav's body on ice to await his return from an out-of-town business trip so he could deliver last rites.

That’s quite possible, says Nikhil Moro, an expert on Hindu culture and associate professor of journalism at the University of North Texas. Hindu religious customs typically require that the closest male relative deliver last rites to allow the “soul to move to its next vehicle or next body.”

“So to the extent that cremation marks the end of the current body, I think the mother might have waited … for the father,” Moro said.

However, nothing in the tradition precludes her from reporting the boy’s death to the authorities, he added. So far, the Collin County medical examiner has not been able to determine a cause of death. Authorities are awaiting the results of toxicology testing.

David Finn, the Dallas-based attorney representing Sumeet’s wife, Pallavi, said he has been told by the medical examiner that Arnav did not drown, nor did he have any visible injuries.
[...]

Authorities have said that Pallavi Dhawan was asked if she had “killed the child and the wife nodded her head, ‘yes.’’’

Moro questions the importance that police are placing on the woman’s nod.

“It is possible that she meant to say 'yes' when she nodded, but did not understand the question or the nature of the question,” he said. “Clearly communication issues are at the heart of misunderstandings, and those issues can crop up from -- for example -- not being able to precisely understand the meaning of a nod.”

http://www.khou.com/news/texas-news?fId=243580671&fPath=/news/local/&fDomain=10247

 

[beans]

Or maybe, she nodded yes, as any mom whos child died, feeling guilt as to what she could've done, or not enough. And the customs here, like say calling the cops asap, are different from her part of the world. And believe me, tragedy makes you do weird things.

 

[Dakota]

The Frisco mother charged with the murder of her 10-year-old son spoke publicly for the first time Wednesday night.

Pallavi Dhawan spoke softly and briefly about her son and wept with others celebrating his short life.

She recalled her son, Arnav Dhawan's, endless energy and spunk.

"He was constantly on the go," said Pallavi. "He did not stop. He just wanted to go. Like the battery that never runs out."

The Dhawans said that Wednesday night marked the first chance they've had to mourn their son. They sobbed openly as family members, neighbors and classmates gathered for the boy who loved games.
[...]

Police arrested Pallavi, whom they say nodded when asked if she'd killed him.

Her husband, Sumeet, remains adamant, however, that Frisco police jumped to conclusions without getting the facts.

"I honestly believed when they came in, they were doing the right thing," said Sumeet. "I really, really trusted them."

The Dhawans' attorney, former judge David Finn, says he's battling police to get information.

"These are important, due process, equal protection," said Finn. "I should be able to have copies of the affidavits and records related to search warrant. And I shouldn't have to wait until after grand jury hears the case. I might be able to use them at the grand jury, but I can't if I don't have them."

"When I spoke to the medical examiner, she herself said, "There's no signs of injury,'" said Sumeet. "'There's no trauma, there's no signs of drowning.' All we are waiting for is toxicology."

Frisco police aren't saying much -- only that they, too, are awaiting toxicology results.

Until then, the family is mourning in a way they never would have imagined.

The family had Arnav cremated Saturday along with one of his favorite stuffed animals. They spread his ashes yesterday in a park with lots of trees and near water and say it was in a place they know he would have loved.

http://www.myfoxdfw.com/story/24646768/loved-ones-hold-vigil-for-frisco-boy-found-dead-at-home

 

[cubby]

I feel so bad for them. I hope it's straightened out soon.

 

[Whisper]

The case against a Frisco mother accused of murder will be allowed to continue.

Collin County Justice of the Peace Paul Raleeh made the ruling on Tuesday morning following an examining trial.
[...]
The medical examiner's office was unable to determine a cause of death because the decomposition of the body at the time of autopsy, but listed "natural disease" as the most likely factor.
[..]

http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Case-Against-Frisco-Mother-Moves-Forward-271923471.html

 

[sinfulplezurz702]

Ok so if its from natural disease, why are they continuing a case against her..I'm confused

 

[Anubis]

Ok so if its from natural disease, why are they continuing a case against her..I'm confused

Just a guess, but I suppose that just because it was natural, doesn't mean it wasn't preventable. Also, the abuse of a corpse thing.

 

[cubby]

Abuse of a corpse is no where near as big a charge as murder and death from natural disease due to neglect is not murder, so what is going on, something else is going on that they are not telling.

 

[Sue sue]

Quite frankly there is
nothing to this case.

 

[Krystal]

The authorities could simply be making sure, like extra sure nothing is being missed. The boy's body was found mummied up to the neck in an ice bath, that's a bit on the hinky side.

 

[sinfulplezurz702]

The authorities could simply be making sure, like extra sure nothing is being missed. The boy's body was found mummied up to the neck in an ice bath, that's a bit on the hinky side.

To us it's hinky, but to them tho, it's possible that its just the way they do things. Different religions and different cultures have different ways of handling their dead.