CLEVELAND — A Cleveland judge set bail at $2 million Friday for a woman Accused of murder Her two young daughters were buried in suitcases in shallow graves.
Alia Henderson, 28, faces two counts of aggravated murder in the deaths of Mila Chatman and Amour Wilson, whose bodies were recovered after a dog walker alerted police to one of the bodies. Bags on Monday.
Henderson didn’t say much 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 happy-go-lucky — a “little baby” who was always smiling. He said he had not seen Mila in five years, and had been unsuccessful in his emergency custody request.
Colin Sweeney, Cuyahoga County’s chief public defender, declined to comment on the case after the hearing. It is not clear who Henderson will represent in the future.
The county medical examiner’s office said Mila was 8 years old, and her half-sister was 10, and that DNA testing helped identify them. A third child, who appeared to be in good health, was in the hands of child welfare authorities after being found in a home that investigators searched, authorities said.