The grim discovery of two young girls found partially buried in separate suitcases in a field on Cleveland’s East Side has left a tight‑knit neighborhood stunned. After preliminary testing, authorities identified the remains as 8‑year‑old Mila Chatman and 10‑year‑old Amor Wilson. Police have arrested a 28‑year‑old Cleveland woman in connection with their deaths on aggravated murder charges, and a judge ordered her held on $2 million bond. Neighbors and relatives say the community around East 162nd Street is reeling as detectives work to unravel how the children died.
According to a press release from the Cleveland Division of Police, Fifth District officers were called around 6 p.m. on March 2 to East 162nd Street and Midland Avenue after a dog walker reported spotting a partially buried suitcase in a field near Ginn Academy. Detectives later located a second suitcase nearby. Both were sent to the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office for examination. Investigators say surveillance footage and witness interviews helped them develop probable cause within 48 hours to execute a search warrant in the 700 block of East 162nd Street. Inside the home, officers found a child who appeared to be in good health; the Department of Children and Family Services took that child into custody.
Investigation and Charges
Authorities have identified the suspect as 28‑year‑old Aliyah Henderson, who is charged with two counts of aggravated murder and child endangering, as reported by The Associated Press. During a brief court appearance, Henderson pleaded not guilty, and a judge set her bond at $2,000,000. Prosecutors told the court that DNA testing helped confirm the victims were half‑sisters. The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner has not yet released an official cause or manner of death, and that investigation is still ongoing.
Video, Records and a Troubled Past
Body‑camera footage released by police shows SWAT officers entering the East 162nd Street home, and in the video Henderson appears calm and cooperative, Cleveland.com reported after reviewing police and court records. That reporting also details a history of prior incidents involving Henderson dating back to 2014, including a missing‑person report and an August 2014 assault on a Greater Cleveland RTA bus, as well as a 2016 domestic disturbance at a family residence. Records cited in the report list an eviction in 2022, a package‑theft complaint in April 2025, and a menacing‑by‑stalking case filed by a neighbor in February 2026.
Neighbors and Memorials
Family members and neighbors describe Mila and Amor as sweet and deeply loved. Mila’s father, DeShaun Chatman, told reporters he had been trying for years to find his daughter and said, “I couldn’t save my baby,” according to The Associated Press. In the days since the discovery, community groups have organized a vigil, and mourners have left flowers and toys in the field near Ginn Academy, local station News 5 Cleveland reported. Court records obtained by local journalists show multiple relatives and others connected to the family are being interviewed as investigators pursue leads, according to 19 News…