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This is a deeply upsetting story. Please be warned.
Earlier this month, authorities unearthed the bodies of two young girls.
Both children had been buried in suitcases.
Now, their mother is charged with aggravated murder. A community and a father are desperate for answers.
A tragedy struck in Cincinnati
On Monday, March 2, a man named Phillip Donaldson was walking his dog.
The area where he was walking has an unfortunate reputation for illegal dumping.
Donaldson discovered a half-buried suitcase during his walk. It’s clear that he immediately understood that something was awry.
Authorities uncovered the bodies of two children.
Cleveland Police Chief Annie Todd announced that she was coordinating with state and federal experts to identify the bodies.
Police have since determined that they were half-sisters: 8-year-old Mila Chatman and 10-year-old Amor Wilson.
That same week, on March 5, police detailed 28-year-old Aliyah Henderson.
She is now facing charges of aggravated murder and of child endangering, with both charges related to this case.
A third child was at Henderson’s home when authorities detained her.
That unnamed child is now in the custody of child protective services.
A years-long search ended in the worst way for one father
A man named Deshaun Chatman is working with police, and has submitted DNA samples to prove that he is 8-year-old Mila’s father.
He spoke to WOIO 19 News about his despair, and the years that he spent trying to find his daughter.
“I’ve been looking for my daughter for five years,” Chatman shared.
“I’ve been calling CPS, going to the courts, trying to get emergency custody, calling the police for welfare checks,” he lamented.
“But,” Chatman despaired, “they denied all access.”
According to Chatman, Henderson has been avoiding him for years.
She moved around.
There are also records indicating that she changed her name.
The last time that he saw his daughter, he reported, was when he helped to buy her clothes for kindergarten.
Obviously, this is a worst case scenario. Whatever happened to end his daughter’s life alongside her sister’s, it is an unthinkable horror.
There may be aspects of the case that are not yet public
The medical examiner’s office has performed an autopsy on both victims. Authorities have yet to divulge their causes of death.
At present, Henderson is being held on a colossal bond, given the seriousness of the charges against her.
Because authorities have shared so little, some on social media are speculating that they suspect Henderson of only being an accessory to the deaths or a participant.
But police and prosecutors have made no public mention of any search for a third party, such as a boyfriend or ex-boyfriend.
Our hearts are broken for 8-year-old Mila and 10-year-old Amor. They deserved better than the horrors that they knew in life.