The devastating case of two young girls found buried in suitcases in Cleveland’s South Collinwood neighborhood has left DeShaun Chatman, who believes one is his 8-year-old daughter Mila Chatman, in profound grief. Standing at the growing memorial near Saranac Playground—now filled with candles, stuffed animals, balloons, photos, flowers, and heartfelt notes—Chatman shared his pain publicly on Thursday, March 5, 2026. “I just want my daughter,” he told reporters, his voice breaking as he described the years of searching and the crushing confirmation from investigators.

The remains were discovered on Monday, March 2, 2026, after a neighbor’s dog alerted to a scent from a partially buried suitcase in a field near Ginn Academy (East 163rd Street and Midland Avenue). Officers responding to the 911 call confirmed a child’s body inside; during the search, they found a second suitcase about 25 feet away containing another child’s remains. Both were in shallow graves, with bodies badly decomposed.

The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the victims as half-sisters: 10-year-old Amor Wilson and 8-year-old Mila Chatman (both from Cleveland) via DNA relationship testing, announced March 5, 2026. The deaths are homicides, with full autopsy results pending for causes.

Their mother, 28-year-old Aliyah Henderson, was detained Wednesday evening near the scene after interviews and evidence review (including a search warrant at a nearby address). She was charged with two counts of aggravated murder and arraigned Friday, March 6, in Cleveland Municipal Court, with bond set at $2 million ($1 million per count). Police confirmed she is the girls’ mother; no prior criminal history or violence reports were noted.

Chatman last saw Mila around 2020 (age ~3), after briefly living with Henderson post-birth (they never married). He described Mila as “happy-go-lucky,” always smiling, loving pink, and insisting she was a “princess”—a “kid’s kid.” For five years, he pursued custody and contact: filing emergency custody requests in family court, contacting Child Protective Services (CPS) repeatedly, and requesting police welfare checks. He claims authorities “denied all access,” often citing no current address for Henderson as a barrier, despite his concerns.

Detectives are reviewing records of his old welfare-check calls and related communications to examine what was reported, responses given, and any potential oversights. Chatman cooperated with investigators, providing a DNA sample this week for paternity confirmation (and to solidify his relationship to Mila). Results were anticipated soon after his March 5 interview, but no public updates as of March 9, 2026, confirm final outcomes or revelations about Mila’s whereabouts during the missing years. Credible reports (Cleveland 19, FOX8, AP, People, CNN) focus on verification and family history—not on DNA uncovering specific events or causes beyond the homicide context. Sensational claims of the test “revealing what happened during the last 5 missing years” appear in viral posts but lack backing from official sources.

A community vigil on March 6 honored Amor and Mila at the site, transforming the playground area into one of mourning and calls for justice. This tragedy raises painful questions about child welfare systems, barriers for non-custodial parents, and why disappearances didn’t trigger stronger interventions.

Chatman left flowers at the memorial, overwhelmed by the reality: “I couldn’t save my daughter.” Thoughts remain with him, the families, and the community grieving two innocent lives lost far too soon. Cleveland Police Homicide (216-623-5464) and Crime Stoppers (216-252-7463) continue seeking tips.