CLEVELAND OHIO, A Cleveland father says one of the two young girls whose bodies were discovered buried in suitcases earlier this week is his missing daughter, a child he says he had been searching for over the past five years.
DeShaun Chatman told reporters that 8-year-old Mila Chatman, one of the victims identified by investigators, is believed to be his daughter. Chatman said he spent years trying to locate and reconnect with the child through legal efforts and by contacting authorities.
“I’ve been looking for my daughter for five years,” Chatman said. “I’ve been calling child protective services, going to the courts, trying to get emergency custody, and calling the police for welfare checks. But they denied all access.”
The discovery was made Monday evening in Cleveland after a local resident walking his dog noticed the animal repeatedly sniffing around a field near East 162nd Street and Midland Avenue.
The man contacted police after the dog led him to a partially buried suitcase. When officers arrived at the scene, they found a shallow grave containing a suitcase with the body of a young girl inside.
While searching the surrounding area, investigators discovered a second shallow grave nearby containing another suitcase with the body of another child.
Authorities later identified the victims as 8-year-old Mila Chatman and her half-sister, 10-year-old Amor Wilson.
Both girls were found inside suitcases buried in the field. The Cleveland Division of Police continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding their deaths.
Investigators later arrested the girls’ mother, Aliyah Henderson, on Wednesday evening. She is facing charges of murder and endangering children in connection with the deaths.
Following the discovery, Chatman visited the site where the girls were found. A memorial has since formed at the location, with community members leaving flowers, candles, and stuffed animals in memory of the children. Witnesses said Chatman appeared visibly distressed as friends comforted him at the scene.
“What I’m feeling is hate. I’m not going to lie, I feel hate,” Chatman said while speaking about the loss. “I just want my daughter.”
Chatman said the last time he saw Mila was several years ago when he helped buy clothing for her kindergarten school year. He claimed the child’s mother avoided contact and frequently changed residences, making it difficult for him to find his daughter.
“I don’t get how you can hate your kids enough to kill them,” he said. “To bury them. To do all this, go right to that home and live there when your kids are right here.”
The grieving father is now calling for changes to family court and child welfare laws, saying he believes the system prevented him from protecting his daughter and maintaining contact with her.
“Change these laws. Make it better,” he said. “A man does have a say in their child’s life, married or unmarried.”
Chatman also confirmed he is cooperating with investigators and undergoing DNA testing to formally confirm paternity as part of the ongoing investigation.
“I’m still in contact with the detectives,” he said. “We’re doing the DNA samples, so I’ll get more details within the next couple of days.”
Authorities say the investigation remains ongoing, and additional information is expected as detectives continue working to determine when and how the two children died.
