The mother of two young girls discovered buried inside suitcases in Cleveland was charged Thursday with two charges of aggravated murder, according to police.
Aliyah Henderson, 28, is suspected of murdering Mila Chatman and Amor Wilson, whose remains were discovered when a dog walker led officials to the suitcases four days earlier.
Mila’s father, DeShaun Chatman, said Thursday that he had been searching for his daughter and pursuing custody for five years before police informed him late Wednesday that she had died.
Chatman attempted to obtain emergency custody and locate Mila through a child welfare agency but was unable to do so due to a lack of knowledge about their residence. It‘s horrific,” Chatman added, adding that Mila had been living near where their remains were discovered. He stated he felt “useless—I couldn’t save my baby.”
Phone numbers associated with Henderson were no longer hers, and it was unclear whether she was represented by a lawyer.
According to a police report, the two suitcases were discovered around 25 feet apart in a field at East 162nd Street and Midland Avenue, near Ginn Academy in Cleveland’s South Collinwood neighborhood.
The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed the names late Thursday, using DNA connection testing. Mila, according to the office, would have been eight years old, and her half-sister Amor, ten.
On Thursday, Sgt. Wilfredo Diaz announced that detectives held Henderson on Wednesday evening after completing initial interviews and reviewing evidencae. A youngster, who appeared to be in good health, was discovered inside a property investigated by detectives and taken into the custody of the Department of Children and Family Services, according to police.
Chatman, a restaurant cook, revealed that he and Henderson were not married but had lived together for roughly a year after their daughter was born. He last saw Mila in 2020, when she was three years old. Chatman described Mila as cheerful and usually smiling. “Her favorite color was pink; she swore she was a princess. She was usually happy. “She was a kid’s child.”
According to him, authorities have not disclosed the cause of death for the girls. “We hope to find answers,” Cleveland Police Chief Dorothy Todd told reporters earlier this week. “This is a terrible, tragic situation.”
Anyone with information can contact Cleveland police at 216-623-5464.