Cleveland Mother Pleads Not Guilty in Deaths of Two Daughters

Two Girls Found in a Cleveland Field

A Cleveland mother has been charged with the murders of her two young daughters after their bodies were discovered buried in partially covered suitcases in a field on the city’s east side. Aliyah Henderson, 28, pleaded not guilty on March 26 in Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas to a sweeping set of charges connected to the deaths of 10-year-old Amor Wilson and 8-year-old Mila Chatman, who were half-sisters. Judge Brian Mooney continued her bond at $2 million and set a pretrial date of April 7.

The discovery was made on the evening of March 2, when a man walking his dog near East 162nd Street and Midland Avenue in Cleveland’s South Collinwood neighborhood noticed his dog fixating on a partially buried suitcase in an open field. The man opened the suitcase and called 911. Officers with the Cleveland Division of Police responded and located a second suitcase nearby containing a second victim. Preliminary DNA testing confirmed the two individuals were related as half-siblings, and further investigation identified them as Henderson’s daughters, according to the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office.

Charges and Arrest

Henderson was arrested on March 4 at a home on East 162nd Street following a search warrant executed by Cleveland police. A six-year-old boy found inside the home appeared to be in good health and was placed in the custody of the Department of Children and Family Services, Cleveland Police Chief Dorothy Todd said. On March 20, a Cuyahoga County grand jury returned an indictment charging Henderson with six counts of aggravated murder, four counts of murder, six counts of kidnapping, three counts of child endangering, one count of tampering with evidence, and two counts of gross abuse of a corpse.

Henderson pleaded not guilty to all charges at her March 26 arraignment in Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas. She has not been convicted. The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office has preliminarily determined the manner of death for both girls to be homicide, but the cause of death remains under investigation. The fathers of both girls were present through a victim’s advocate at the arraignment, requesting the highest bond possible, citing concerns about Henderson’s history of moving frequently and limiting contact with the children’s fathers.

Community Response and Victim Context

Hundreds of community members attended a funeral service for Amor Wilson and Mila Chatman on March 25 at Mount Sinai Friendship United in Cleveland. A memorial of stuffed animals, flowers, and balloons had grown steadily at the playground near where the girls were found in the days following the discovery. Deshaun Chatman, who identified himself as Mila’s father, told local reporters he had not had contact with his daughter for several years and said he had reached out to child services multiple times seeking custody. The Cuyahoga County spokesperson declined to provide further details, citing the active criminal investigation and Ohio confidentiality obligations.

Case Status

Henderson’s pretrial hearing is scheduled for April 7. The investigation into the deaths of Amor Wilson and Mila Chatman remains active, according to the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office, which declined to provide additional comment. The cause and timing of the girls’ deaths have not been officially confirmed by the medical examiner.

References: Cleveland mother pleads not guilty after bodies of 2 young daughters are found in suitcases | Cleveland playground now a place of mourning for two girls found in suitcases