DeShaun Chatman, the father of one of the two step-sisters found dead in a Cleveland, Ohio field has condemned child welfare laws that kept him from challenging discovery of his missing daughter as mom, Aliyah Henderson now faces 2 murder charges in the deaths of Amor Wilson, 10 and Mila Chatman, 8.
A Cleveland, Ohio mother is accused of killing her two young daughters and stuffing their bodies in separate suitcases before their discovery earlier this week in a field.
Aliyah Henderson, 28, appeared in court on Friday where she faced charges of two counts of aggravated murder and child endangering with bail set at $2 million, $1m for each girl.
Notice of the two girls deaths, since identified as half sisters according to DNA tests, were found while a local took out their dog only for the animal to pick up a scent in a field near East 162nd Street on Monday. Police later found two suitcases partially buried in shallow graves, some 25 feet apart from each other along the perimeter of a fence edge.
Cleveland Ohio made first court appearance with bond set at $2M
Investigators were now awaiting the results of autopsy tests to determine the cause and manner of death of the step-siblings, after the discovery of their ‘badly’ decomposed bodies, WKYC reported.
‘It’s alleged in this matter that the defendant did cause the death of her two daughters 8 and 10 years old. The badly decomposed bodies of the two little girls were found in shallow graves in Cleveland in suitcases,’ stated the prosecution.
The two step-siblings were identified as Amor Wilson, 10 years old and Mila Chatman, 8-years old.
It remained unclear how long the two girls had been at the location.
Aliyah Henderson search warrant leads to criminal charges
The mother who was identified as a person of interest was served a search warrant on Wednesday with investigators gathering substantial evidence related to the case and formally charging Henderson later that evening.
Police said a child was found inside the home ‘and appeared to be in good health.’ The Department of Children and Family Services has taken custody of the child.
DeShaun Chatman a father of one of the two girls told press he had been searching for his missing daughter for the last five years before her body turning up earlier this week.
‘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 father told Cleveland19.
How Ohio child welfare law failed two young girls
According to Chatman, the girl’s mother had been avoiding him and frequently moving from place to place.
A memorial where the two girls were found has continued to grow with teddy bears, flowers, balloons, and more throughout the day.
There will be a vigil at the site at 4 p.m. Friday.
A GoFundme titled, ‘A Loving Farewell for Mila Chatman,’ in the memory of one of the two sisters has since been launched.
