Los Angeles couple cleared in Qatar of daughter's death attend Pasadena church

PASADENA, Calif. (KABC) -- A Los Angeles couple, cleared by a Qatari appeals court of wrongdoing in the 2013 death of their adopted daughter, were greeted with a standing ovation at a Sunday morning service at Lake Avenue Church in Pasadena.

"We're really glad, really excited to be here to worship with you who are our church family. It was just something that we've longed for, for so long," said Matthew Huang. "The situation the past two years has been extremely difficult. It's taught us a lot about patience and trusting God, and we're just beginning to realize the amazing hidden blessings that God has brought through this crisis. So thank you all for your prayers and your support and your care for us."

The Huangs moved to Qatar in 2012 after Matthew Huang was hired to work as an engineer for the 2022 World Cup in Doha. The couple was arrested on murder charges in Doha after their 8-year-old daughter Gloria died on Jan. 15, 2013. The Qatar government accused the couple of starving Gloria, who was adopted from Ghana when she was 4, to death.

But according to supporters of the couple, the child suffered eating disorders due to past malnourishment before she was adopted. Family representatives worried that cultural misunderstandings played a part in their conviction in a country where adopting children of a different race is uncommon.

The California Innocence Project investigated the Huangs' case and presented evidence overlooked during the trial.

When Gloria died, she was in an anorexic episode and had not eaten in as many as four days, according to a report prepared in the U.S. by Janice Ophoven, a pediatric forensic pathologist who reviewed the case for the family.

The Huangs were convicted of child endangerment and spent nearly a year in jail. An appeals court judge overturned their conviction last week.

The Huangs, of Asian descent, have two other African-born adopted children who left the Qatar during the trial to live with relatives in the U.S. They were also present at the church service Sunday.

Church members at the Sunday service were asked to donate $5 and $10 to help the family get back on their feet.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.