Cleveland mother charged with murder after two girls found in suitcases

“We love and protect our young people, and the loss of these two children is unimaginable,” the mayor said.

A 28-year-old Cleveland woman has been arrested in connection with the deaths of two Black girls found inside suitcases and buried in shallow graves, police said Thursday.

Aliyah Henderson was charged with two counts of aggravated murder and is being held at the Cuyahoga County Jail, records show. A spokesperson for Cleveland police said Henderson was the girls’ mother.

She was booked Wednesday, two days after the girls’ remains were found near her home on the east side of Cleveland.

Authorities found two girls dead in the area of East 162nd Street and Midland Avenue in Cleveland.Google Maps

The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the dead girls as Amor Wilson, 10, and Mila Chatman, 8, both of Cleveland.

The ME’s office did not reveal the cause of death.

“These were two young lives with their entire futures ahead of them,” Police Chief Dorothy Todd said in a news release before the suspect was formally charged. “Our detectives worked tirelessly and with great care to identify those responsible.”

Mayor Justin Bibb also trumpeted the arrest in a case that drew national attention.

“I want to thank our homicide detectives and members of the Division of Police for their incredible work in this case,” he said in a statement. “Their dedication and persistence led to a quick arrest in connection with the tragic deaths of two young children whose bodies were discovered earlier this week.”

Bibb said the grim discovery “has shocked our community.”

“We love and protect our young people, and the loss of these two children is unimaginable,” he said.

Todd said in her release that another child was found when police searched the suspect’s home “and appeared to be in good health.”

The Department of Children and Family Services has taken custody of the child. Todd provided no other information about that child.

The girls were found Monday evening by a dog walker who stumbled across the first body in the vicinity of East 162nd Street and Midland Avenue, near an all-boys public school called the Ginn Academy.

As they were searching the area, Cleveland homicide detectives found a second shallow grave with a suitcase that contained another body.

While police have not determined how long the girls had been buried at that location, the man whose dog sniffed them out told a local television station that the mound of dirt under which one of the bodies was found had been there at least a week.

Mother arrested in connection with 2 girls found dead in suitcases in Ohio

A 28-year-old Ohio mother, facing two felony charges in connection with two young girls found dead in suitcases Monday night, was arraigned Friday morning.

Aliyah Henderson was charged with two counts of aggravated murder on Thursday, according to the Cleveland Division of Police. A Cleveland Municipal Court judge set a $2 million bond.

The girls were identified as 8-year-old Mila Chatman and 10-year-old Amor Wilson, both of Cleveland.

According to Cleveland police, detectives executed a search warrant at a residence in the area of East 162nd Street and Midland Avenue after canvassing the area, speaking to witnesses and reviewing surveillance footage, WEWS reported.

A child was found inside the home and taken into the custody of the Department of Child and Family Services, police said.

“These were two young lives with their entire futures ahead of them,” said Chief Dorothy Todd. “Our detectives worked tirelessly and with great care to identify those responsible. Investigations of this nature require patience, precision, and discretion. Unlike what is often portrayed on television, every detail cannot be shared publicly. Certain information must remain confidential to protect the integrity of the investigation and ensure justice for these victims. That careful and methodical work allowed our detectives to develop the evidence needed to make quick identification of a person of interest, ultimately resulting in an arrest.”

Mayor Justin Bibb has released the following statement about the arrest:

“I want to thank our homicide detectives and members of the Division of Police for their incredible work in this case. Their dedication and persistence led to a quick arrest in connection with the tragic deaths of two young children whose bodies were discovered earlier this week.

This has shocked our community. We love and protect our young people, and the loss of these two children is unimaginable. Our hearts are with everyone who is grieving this tragedy.”

What happened?

On Monday night, a man walking his dog near East 162nd Street and Midland Avenue found a suitcase with human remains inside at Saranac Playground near Ginn Academy.

Cleveland police responded to the scene and determined a young girl was inside the suitcase, which was buried in a shallow grave. While collecting evidence, a second shallow grave was found with the other girl inside a suitcase.

On Tuesday, Cleveland police held a news conference to discuss the case.

There were no missing children in the area who matched their descriptions, Todd said during the news conference.

Police are gathering information and surveillance footage from the area and have established a 24-hour response line for any tips. Anyone with information should call the Cleveland Police Homicide Unit at 216-623-5464.

The investigation is ongoing, and police said there was no indication of an ongoing threat to public safety.