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Aliyah Henderson, a Cleveland mother, has been arrested and charged after the remains of her two young daughters were reportedly found stuffed in suitcases.
According to NBC News, the bodies of the two young girls were found on the evening of Monday, March 2, on the east side of the city. Per the outlet, a dog walker “stumbled” on the first body, then called the police. Investigations ultimately found the second suitcase nearby in a shallow grave.
Furthermore, a preliminary investigation reportedly determined that the girls were half-siblings and aged between 8 and 14. The outlet noted that neither body was found dismembered.
“It was like a pile of dirt, and she stopped to sniff … and she was taking too long,” Phillip Donaldson, the dogwalker, reportedly told the press. “So I went back and looked, and it was a suitcase that was half-buried, and I pulled it up and looked in it, and it was a head. Somebodys head in it.”
Per PEOPLE, investigators immediately looked into the girls’ cause of death and established a 24-hour hotline for tips. Then, on Thursday, March 5, NBC News reported that Aliyah Henderson, a 28-year-old Cleveland woman, was arrested in connection with the case, identified as the girls’ mother. Per the outlet, the remains of her daughter were discovered near her home.
Furthermore, Henderson was charged with “two counts of aggravated murder,” and was taken into custody at Cuyahoga County Jail. Additionally, Henderson’s daughters were identified as 10-year-old Amor Wilsonand eight-year-old Mila Chatman.
“These were two young lives with their entire futures ahead of them,” Cleveland Police Chief Dorothy Todd reportedly told the press after Henderson’s arrest. “Our detectives worked tirelessly and with great care to identify those responsible.”
According to Cleveland 19 News, Aliyah Henderson was arraigned in Cleveland Municipal Court on Friday, March 6. Furthermore, Henderson reportedly has no prior record or history of violence. However, the judge ultimately set her bond at $2 million.
Lastly, reports assert that a third child was found in Henderson’s care at the time of her arrest. The child has reportedly been placed in the custody of the Department of Children and Family Services.
