Medical Examiner Rules Cause of 10-Year-Old's Death Undetermined

A medical examiner's report says a natural cause is most likely in the death of a 10-year-old boy whose body was found in a family bathtub.

Arnav Dhawan's mother was charged with murder in the Jan. 29 death at the family's Frisco home.

On Thursday, the Collin County medical examiner issued findings on the boy's death, stating both the manner and cause of death were "undetermined," but "natural disease is most likely."

According to the report, the boy likely had a seizure that led to a ruptured cyst in his brain and heart attack.

Officers found the boy's body in the tub at his home, wrapped in cloth up to his neck, in the last week of January 2014. Police said there were also several plastic bags found around the boy, but did not elaborate.

The boy's father says it is all a cultural misunderstanding. The Dhawan family is Hindu and after death bodies are preserved on ice while waiting for family to pay respects and for last rites to be issued.

"Nothing is going to get our son back and I hope that what has happened to us doesn't happen to anybody and cultural differences played a big part in this," said Sumeet Dhawan.

Frisco police had charged the boy's mother, Pallavi Dhawan, with murder in her son's death. They said she confessed to killing the boy, but family attorney David Finn of Dallas denies that.

"Not one shred of any evidence that there was foul play, nothing so to call this a murder investigation I think they jumped the gun it was premature," said Finn.

The mother remains free on $50,000 bail.

Sumeet Dhawan says he has no intention of suing Frisco at this time. He just wants the charges dropped,d an apology because he says police knew of his son's medical condition and the family car -- which was impounded -- returned.

Frisco police say the case is still under investigation.

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