Missing Toddler’s Mom Speaks to ABC News on Email
The mother of missing toddler Sky Metalwala has not spoken publicly since her 2-year-old went missing on Nov. 6, but in an email exchange with ABC News, someone claiming to be Julia spoke out for the first time, lashing out at her estranged husband.
ABC News emailed an address confirmed by relatives to be that of Sky’s mother, Julia Biryukova. In the first exchange, she or someone else who was using the account, responded to a request for comment by writing, “My former husband is a sadistic Muslim Pakistani. No one has any idea. This is all too difficult. Kindly, Julia.”
ABC News asked to hear more, and received the following response:
“My attorney has forbid me from speaking about the ongoing investigation. My former husband’s allegations are without merit. Solomon is deceptive.”
Her husband, Solomon Metalwala, is Pakistani, but not a Muslim. Police have said he cooperated with the investigation, whereas Biryukova refused to take a lie detector test.
Biryukova, who is going through a contentious custody battle with Metalwala, originally told police she ran out of gas and left Sky alone in her car while she walked to a gas station. Upon returning, she said, he was gone.
Police have questioned her account of how Sky disappeared. Investigators found enough gas in her car for her to have continued driving. And they didn’t find any mechanical problems that would have caused the car to stop functioning.
During the email exchange with ABC News, ‘Julia’ responded “No” when asked, “Julia, please, do you have any idea where Sky is?”
“Prayers” and “faith” will help bring Sky home, Julia said. “I’m praying to Jesus on my knees night and day for my Sky.”
Upon seeing the emails, Bellevue police Maj. Mike Johnson said, ”Well obviously I can’t comment specifically on what value this might be.”
He added, ”I’ll get it in the hands of investigators right away.”
Anyone, including the relatives Biryukova is staying with, could have accessed her email account, but Biryukova’s estranged husband Solomon Metalwala said the messages sound like her.
“Obviously she’s just trying to maybe get me kind of riled up,” he said. “The focus is to find Sky.”
During the email conversation, ABC News received responses to every question except one: what happened that morning if the car didn’t actually run out of gas?
It’s a question that continues to baffle investigators two weeks after Sky was reported missing.