The body of a small child was found Sunday during the search for missing 3-year-old Texas girl Sherin Mathews, authorities said. Richardson police said the child's body was discovered in a culvert less than one mile from Sherin's home.

The body was found when search dogs scoured the nearby area to find clues. Police have not confirmed yet whether the body was that of Sherin, who went missing on Oct. 7. Police also did not mention how the child died but said they are waiting for the FBI’s recovery team to respond, local media reports said.

Police said the body hasn't been positively identified but that they have no reason to believe it's a different child, the Daily Mail reported.

Sherin went missing after her father put the child beneath a tree about 100 feet from their home as punishment for not drinking her milk. When he returned, he found that his daughter — who he had adopted from an Indian orphanage — was missing. Despite learning about the disappearance minutes after leaving his daughter outside, the father waited for nearly five hours before informing authorities.

Police raised doubts over Sherin's father Wesley Mathews' delay in informing the police after he realized his daughter went missing. Police also said they determined the family car was missing for about an hour at 4 a.m. EDT the morning Sherin disappeared.

Wesley hinted at a coyote attack, but police said there was no evidence she was dragged away by an animal nor was there any evidence she had been kidnapped.

Wesley was arrested for endangering a child after Sherin went missing, but was released after posting a $250,000 bond.

Wesley told police that he was busy doing laundry after he punished his daughter to stand outside. Sherin’s mother was reportedly sleeping throughout the night Sherin disappeared.

Last week, police seized several items from Wesley's house and also collected DNA swabs from their vehicles. Agents seized some 45 articles, including the family's washer and dryer, a blanket, vacuum cleaner and cell phones. Police also said their searches yielded items of interest, though they did not go into detail.

"We have found some articles that are of interest to us," Richardson Police Sgt. Kevin Perlich told CBS owned KTVT. "Whether or not they turn out to be evidence in this case remains to be determined."

In the wake of Sherin’s disappearance, Child Protective Services(CPS) intervened to remove their 4-year-old biological daughter from the Mathews' home. CPS said they had prior contact with the Mathews family before Sherin vanished, but provided no further details.

The parents came under fire from some people in the community for their responses to Sherin’s disappearance. Neither the mother or father appeared at a vigil held for the girl. Police had also said that the parents were not cooperating with the investigation.

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