CLEVELAND OHIO, Authorities have identified the two young girls whose bodies were discovered inside separate suitcases buried in shallow graves on the city’s East Side as Amor Wilson and Mila Chatman.
The discovery was made Monday evening in a field near East 162nd Street and Midland Avenue in Cleveland’s South Collinwood neighborhood, close to Ginn Academy.
According to investigators, the girls were located after a man walking his dog in the area noticed the animal repeatedly alerting to a scent near a fence line. When the man checked the location, he discovered a partially buried suitcase and contacted authorities.
Officers with the Cleveland Division of Police responded shortly after 6 p.m. and located a suitcase containing the body of a child in a shallow grave. While searching the surrounding area, investigators discovered a second shallow grave nearby containing another suitcase with the body of a second child.
Authorities later confirmed the victims were sisters, Amor Wilson and Mila Chatman. Family members shared that a photograph circulating online shows the girls during a doctor’s appointment in 2019 with their mother and grandmother. At that time, Amor was 3 years old and Mila was 1 year old. Today, Amor would have been 10 and Mila would have been 8.
Police confirmed that the girls’ mother, Aliyah Henderson, has been charged with two counts of murder in connection with the case.
Cleveland Police Chief Dorothy Todd previously described the discovery as a tragic and deeply disturbing situation for both investigators and the community. Officials said investigators initially estimated the victims were between 8 and 14 years old and noted that no matching missing persons reports had been immediately identified when the bodies were first discovered.
Authorities believe the remains had likely been at the location for some time, though investigators have not yet determined the exact timeline. Officials also stated there is currently no indication of an ongoing threat to the public.
The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office is continuing forensic examinations to determine the cause and manner of death. Officials confirmed the victims’ bodies had not been dismembered.
The investigation remains active as detectives continue gathering evidence and working to establish the circumstances surrounding the girls’ deaths. Authorities are asking anyone with information related to the case to contact the Cleveland Police Homicide Unit.
