Bail set at $2M for Cleveland woman accused of killing her 2 daughters
CLEVELAND– A Cleveland judge set bail Friday at $2 million for a woman accused of killing her two young daughters and burying them in suitcases in shallow graves.
Aliyah Henderson, 28, faces two counts of aggravated murder for the deaths of Mila Chatman and Amor Wilson, whose bodies were found after a dog walker alerted police to one of the suitcases Monday.
Henderson said little during the brief court appearance. Prosecutors said they found no criminal record for her, and Henderson’s public defender said she had a place to live and was looking for a job.
Mila’s father, DeShaun Chatman, described her as a happy-go-lucky person — a “kid” who was always smiling. He said he hadn’t seen Mila in five years and had unsuccessfully requested emergency custody.
Cullen Sweeney, Cuyahoga County’s top public defender, declined to comment on the case after the hearing. It is unclear who will represent Henderson in the future.
The county medical examiner’s office said Mila would have been 8 years old, her half-sister Amor 10, and that DNA testing helped identify them. Authorities said a third, apparently healthy child was in the custody of Child Protective Services after being found in a home searched by investigators.
